Abandoned
by Mutinous Phantom
Summary: AU. He betrayed her. She never forgets. And now Karel wants to kill them both. The story of Kurtis Trent and Lara Croft with a different beginning. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Well, hi. I've got this annoying idea for a Tomb Raider story that will not go away, and since I have finished one of my other stories, (non tomb raider) I have decided I will write it.

This is my take on how Lara got thrown out of her house, disowned by her family, and met her Aunt in Croft Manor. I don't know if this has been done before, most probably it has, but loads of people do Lara and Kurtis ones, set after AOD, so I can do this.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with Tomb Raider...

Note: Flashbacks are in italics

_**Abandoned**_

**Prologue **

Cold. Everywhere cold. No place to escape from it. It reached down into her soul. Her mind was replaying the evens of the last hour.

"_Lara Croft, you shall not, I repeat shall not abandon your heritage for that career. I have brought you up to follow in my footsteps."_

"_What, dinner parties and drinking whisky?" Lara replied, giving her father a glare. "I am twenty one years old; I can do what I want!"_

"_Yes, well unfortunately, you have a birthright, Lady Croft." Her father replied, his words dripping with sarcasm._

_Lara stood there, amazed at the coldness of her father's voice. Lara looked into his brown eyes, deciding to use the ultimate argument._

"_What would mum say, knowing that you are stopping me from living my dream?"_

_Lord Henshingly Croft stood there gaping at her. The fire from the study fireplace casting shadows on his weathered face._

"_HOW DARE YOU?!?" He yelled, placing a smack across Lara's cheek, sending her to the carpeted floor._

_Lara let the tears fall silently down her cheeks, touching the inflamed skin on her cheek. "D...Daddy, how could you?" Lara's voice was broken with sobs, hugging her legs to herself, her dark braid hanging limply over one shoulder._

_Her father dragged her up by the awful summer dress she was forced to wear. "You are no daughter of mine."_

_With that final statement, he threw his only child out of the manor house and slammed the door behind her._

_A second later, a small brown bag dropped from a window, the one she found in Cambodia, full of money. Obviously hinting at getting a hotel or something._

_Lara pulled herself to her feet and walked out of the grounds, slinging the bag over her shoulder..._

Lara opened her eyes from the horrible images of the previous hour. She was sitting in a field, in the middle of the Kentish countryside, at the middle of the night.

Cold, lonely and with no where to go, Lara curled herself up on the grass, hoping to find a piece of warmth in the tiny green blades.

Slowly, she drifted into sleep, thinking of how big the price was for following her ambition.

.................

Yes it is short, that's because all of my prologues are. Please tell me if you think I should carry on, or leave it as a one poster. Also, I need to see if anyone knows the Aunt's name, (the one who lives in Croft Manor) if not I'll make it up.

Thanks for reading (so far?)

Dan


	2. Chapter One

Special thanks to **AcidRush** and **Shauniwritesit** for their reviews, and to anyone else (when I wrote this these two were my only ones, if you have reviewed since then, and you're not mentioned please do not take offence)

By the way, when I refer to the incident, I mean the Himalayas plane crash.

I'm glad you liked it, so here is the next chapter. By the way, the Aunt's name will be Kate in this, as she seems to be nameless. In this she will be Lara's dad's sister.

**CHAPTER ONE**

Lara traipsed through the empty street, fully aware of the curious stares she was receiving. Her usually slick, dark hair was messed up from sleeping in a field. Her clothes were covered with grass-stains from where she was tossing and turning all night.

She glanced up to see a woman grab the hand of her child, as if Lara posed a threat.

She had no idea where she was. She just walked where she wanted. _This reminds me of the incident: the freedom is unnerving_. She tried to stop thinking about the influence that plane crash had on her, but she couldn't help but think it was a good influence; one that helped her realise the pointless life she was living. _Well, not anymore_, she vowed to herself.

The town she walked through was beautiful. There were tiny thatched cottages with roses growing up the side, drowning the country air with their sweet aroma. There were children laughing, playing in the park opposite the church she had just passed. The church itself was a traditional Norman flint church, like hundreds across the country. The place looked like it was in a time warp, and for some reason, it made her feel happy.

On the outskirts of the village Lara noticed a newsagent. Deciding to get something to eat, she entered the converted cottage and closed the door behind her.

It was more like a traditional country farm shop than a modern newsagent. Fresh fruit was everywhere, grown pure by the farmer. Meat, vegetables and various produce was stacked against one wall. The only clue she had that it was really 1988 (A.N I worked it out as best as I could and deducted that she would have been 21 in 1988/1989, the year I was born...) was the Cadbury's chocolate on the counter next to the till.

She grabbed a wicker basket and filled it to the brim with her favourite fruit, strawberries, and grabbed some fresh bread. Lara slipped some notes from her bag and got ready to pay the assistant, a local teenager.

She had to wave at him a couple of times to get his attention. He was wearing something that looked like a 'beat it' jacket. (A.N. A beat it jacket is a red zipper leather jacket that Michael Jackson wore in his video for 'Beat It')

"You do know he has got a new album." She stated to the assistant, pointing at the jacket, the guy having finally taken his headphones off.

The teenager only grunted and held out his hand for money.

Pissed off, she handed him some notes and waited for some change. The pimply guy shoved some coppers into her hand and put 'Bad' back on. Irritated, she grabbed the headphones and snapped them back to his ears with a loud snap.

She started to argue with the guy, only stopping when she heard a voice she recognised.

"...And Winston, get some potatoes. We are fresh out..."

"Yes, milady."

Lara turned on her heel, causing her braid to slap the attendant across the face. _Mental note: wash hair_. She ran around a stall of fruit to be greeted by the sight of her elderly Aunt and her faithful butler and friend, Winston.

"Aunt Kate?" Lara said, eyes as big as saucers. She shook her head and looked back up to see if her favourite Aunt was still standing there.

She was. Kate Croft had long dark hair, just like Lara, only hers fell in torrents of curls, and was splashed with grey. She had the same nose as her father, but unlike her brother her eyes were grey. Steel grey. Her tissue paper skin was more wrinkled, but as she saw Lara she burst into a smile.

"Lara dear, how splendid to see you!" The woman grabbed her niece in a bone cracking hug before holding her at arms length, surveying her messed up hair, dirty clothes and tired face.

"Whatever is the matter dear? You look a fright! Come along, you shall come to my house and we will contact your father."

Lara stopped dead in the doorway of the shop. Her eyes welled with tears. She couldn't lie to her Aunt, her honourary mother after hers passed away. "He has thrown me out. He doesn't want to see me again, to put it basically, and he wants me to be one of those rich ladies who lay on their backside all day. I told him I want to see the world, meet people and have an adventure. He wants me to attend cocktail parties with rich snobs."

Lara felt the hot tears fall down her cheeks, thinking of how much she missed her father. They had their differences, but he was all she had, and now she didn't have that.

She felt her Aunt place an arm around her. "Then you will stay with us until your dreams come true."

Those words meant more to her than anything. She allowed herself to be steered into a 1950's black car. (A.N. I'm no good with car names.)

Lara woke up suddenly, after having yet another nightmare about the last time she saw her father.

She was surprised to see that she was in an elaborate four poster bed, snuggled underneath red and cream sheets. It took a few seconds to realise she was in Croft Manor, her Aunt's house.

Yesterday afternoon, as soon as she got in after the drive, she ran to her new bedroom and fell asleep without bothering to get changed.

She climbed out of the bed and looked around the room, having not being able to look last night due to tiredness.

There was a red brick fireplace opposite her bed, only embers remaining in the grate. The walls were whitewashed, as most Tudor buildings were. Next to her bed on the right was a closet, and then further along her own bathroom.

She jumped into the blue tiled bathroom and looked at the sunken tub in the corner. She switched on the taps and occupied herself by brushing her teeth with a new toothbrush at the sink.

The bath was relaxing; the warm water cleansing not only her body but her mind. Life didn't seem so bad, sitting in a bath tub, washing her sleep drugged body. Twenty minutes later, hair washed and feeling fully refreshed, she stepped inside the closet. She had unceremoniously dumped her dress in the bin moments before.

There were a few night gowns and a dressing gown on one wall. In a drawer underneath was the appropriate lingerie. Trousers and tank tops lined one wall, a collection of boots underneath.

Lara briefly remembered telling Kate her sizes yesterday. Someone must have bought these clothes.

She pulled a green tank top on and grabbed a pair of black trousers. She stuffed on some boots and turned to leave the small closet.

Standing in the doorway was her Aunt, dressed only in a night gown that touched the floor.

She smiled slightly and turned Lara around to face the wall.

Her Aunt started to braid her hair for her. "Lara today is the start of your new life. Gone are the horrible dresses, dinner parties and pointless social events. Today you are a new woman."

Lara smiled at her words and turned to embrace her mother-like figure in a warm hug. "Don't waste your life away like I have." Kate whispered in her ear...

……………………..

There, in case you are wondering, Winston and Kate were at the small village in Kent (it's called Bredgar, near where I live) because there was an annual summer fete on, Lady Kate Croft was opening it because Lara's father refused. I originally had them meet Lara there, but it really made the chapter boring and I couldn't find a place to say that's why they were there.

I tried to kind of capture what a village in England is like, a proper village. I hope it is okay.

Thanks for reading, please review,

Dan


	3. Chapter Two

Hello everyone! I want to say thank you to the reviewers so far. I am getting into the main plot now. There is a bit of sadness/trauma in this chapter, just warning you!

Let's start shall we?

**CHAPTER TWO**

It had been two months and three days since the eventful day she was chucked out by her father. She had become good friends with Winston and became closer to her Aunt.

At first Lara tried not to notice the difference in her Aunt, but by now she was aware that she did not have long to live. She tried not to accept it but she knew it was inevitable.

That afternoon she was sent to her Aunt's room by Winston. Her Aunt had spent all day in bed, proclaiming that she felt ill. Lara was more worried about her Aunt than she wanted to admit. She stepped tentatively into the room, dressed in the usual combats and tank top.

"Aunt Kate?" she said softly as she entered the room. She was surprised to find her Aunt standing by a window, looking out to the countryside surrounding the Tudor manor house.

Her Aunt was dressed in a long white nightgown and a blue velvet dressing gown. Her dark curls fell loose down her back.

Kate turned to look at her only niece. Her grey eyes seemed to be looking into her very soul. Lara could tell that her Aunt's days were limited.

She felt tears forming in the corners of her hazel eyes and made no attempt to stop them. "Stop crying Lara. Listen to me carefully..."

Lara stemmed the flow of her tears and sat at the end of her Aunt's bed, preparing to listen to the dying woman who was the closest thing she had to a mother.

The older woman spun around to face her, causing greying curls to whirl around. "Lara, don't compensate your dreams for this life," she said, whilst waving around a wrinkled hand.

"I also once dreamed of adventure, travel and love but my father forced me to marry a Lord that I hardly knew. As soon as your grandfather died I divorced my husband and set up base here. I will give this house to you in my will..."

Lara gasped aloud; a hand flew up to her mouth. Her Aunt was giving her everything she had worked for. "I will have no use for it. Come next week; I will be dead. Lara, don't ever do what I did. Don't ever go down without a fight. Trust yourself."

Lara did not know what to say to Kate. The old woman was now sitting next to her, wrinkled hands in hers. "I have booked you a ferry to Calais. (A.N. You don't fly to Paris if you live in the bottom of England, it is easier to get a boat, and it only takes about 45 minutes anyway.) You must go and see Jean-Yves, a friend of mine. He will get you trained up a bit."

Lara shook her head and looked straight into the steel orbs level with her brown ones. "I want to be here for you," Lara stated simply, allowing the tears to flow down her cheeks in waves. She soon found herself crying over the loss of her Aunt; the woman beside her who she would never see again.

"Don't cry Lara, and don't look back. Your boat leaves tonight."

Lara stood up and brought the older woman into a hug, fearful of letting go_. I will make you proud_, she vowed to herself.

"Goodbye Aunt Kate. Say hello to mother up there for me." The older woman gave out a laugh at her words, serving to break the ice-like tension in the room.

Lara turned to walk out of the room, all too aware of the grey eyes looking at her. She didn't look back, just as she promised.

Lara packed away her clothes silently, allowing hot tears to fall down her cheeks. True to her word, she had not gone to see Kate at all. Winston offered lunch but she declined.

She swung her braid over her shoulder and zipped up the suitcase she was taking. She grabbed the brown bag from the closet and filled it with the essentials: passport, a hairbrush and tickets.

She slipped the brown leather bag over her shoulder and tightened her denim jacket around herself. She was wearing blue jeans, a blue denim jacket, a black tank top and her faithful black boots.

Her mind wandered to the man she was going to meet. Jean-Yves. She knew nothing about him, apart from the fact he was a French archaeologist. She picked up her suitcase and exited her room.

She walked down the stairs slowly, willing her body not to run and see her Aunt. She met Winston at the foot of the stairs. She hugged the old man and smiled at him, allowing her face to show a happiness she did not feel. "Winston, the taxi is here. Tell Aunt Kate thank you, and can you..?"

The old man nodded formally before giving Lara a friendly hug. They had become quite good friends. "I well tell you as soon as she passes," he said in his stately accent.

Lara felt tears forming but she refused to cry. Giving the man a smile, she departed from the manor and climbed into the awaiting taxi. Once in the backseat with her bags the driver pulled off, leaving the Manor.

Lara glanced up at the house, taking in its appearance and remembering every detail. She gasped as she saw that her Aunt was standing in one window. Their eyes locked for a second, steel grey against hazel. Her Aunt waved to her with a sad smile. Lara followed suit, hoping her Aunt would understand her hidden messages of love and goodbye.

The driver of the taxi turned out to be quite sociable and joked with her all the way to Dover. (A.N. There is a large port there where you can get boats across the Channel.)

The port looked as busy as ever, even at eight o clock in the evening. Lara paid the man and added a hefty tip, thanking him for his kindness. Grabbing her suitcase and swinging her trademark bag over her shoulder, she left for a waiting area.

The room was painted bright yellow and had fake pot plants in every available space. Uncomfortable looking chairs filled up the room. The canary walls were plastered with advertising for certain boating companies.

She maneuvered to a window on the opposite side of the room with an office beyond. A fair haired woman wearing a blue blazer took her tickets and stamped them.

She lowered herself into a chair and waited for her boat...

Lara sipped a coke in the restaurant. Her finished plate of fish and chips hinted at her hunger. She felt uncomfortable in her jeans, as most people had dressed up for the short boat trip.

Lara failed to notice the appreciative glances she was getting and was content with staring out of the window next to her table. The spray of the ocean smashed against the thick glass. Those unfortunate enough to be outside were soaked to the bone.

Her mind snapped back to the present as a blonde man sat down opposite her. She focused her eyes on him, allowing them to contract to slits.

He held out a hand and took the liberty of grabbing hers. Already disliking the man, she struggled to maintain her etiquette she had learned from her childhood.

"Hello, I'm Lady Croft. And who might you be?"

Lara had deliberately used her formal name in a chance that he might be intimidated by her status. The man showed no signs in taking a hint.

"Yeah, hi. I'm Alex West, an archaeologist."

His American accent was both charming and annoying. She had an immediate dislike for the man, but decided that he was worth talking to if he knew about archaeology.

The two ended up ordering some alcohol and talked about the recent findings of a tomb in Cambodia. She even mentioned her expedition with Werner Von Croy in her teen years.

"...and if you believe it, we raced to the iris and he actually got himself trapped! I was so scared. He didn't listen to my warnings. The cave was starting to collapse, so I-"

Lara was cut off mid sentence with an announcement informing the landing in France. She was supposed to meet Jean-Yves at the port.

"It has been a pleasure to talk with you Mr. West," Lara decided to end in formality. The American didn't.

"See you around Lara."

The young man gave her piercing look that both flattered her and angered her. She watched him walk away, hoping that their paths would cross again.

Lara looked around the dingy port in Calais. Calais was a baron, industrial town with little natural beauty. Lara was not captivated by the sight and was looking forward to reaching the beautiful capital of the country.

A man approached her. He was an attractive man gone slightly to seed. His dark hair was slicked back in a traditional French style. His shirt was stretched taut across his stomach. Golden rimmed glasses framed his brown eyes, which were his most attractive features by far.

"Lara Croft?" The man asked, unwillingly introducing himself.

Lara nodded her beautiful head, smiling at the stranger she had to live with. "You must be Jean-Yves?" The man smiled and nodded and offered his arm to her, which she took.

Jean started to talk about ancient ruins and archaeological digs, a subject they both held an interest in. Speaking directly on her wishes she said: "Jean, will you help me learn everything there is to know about exploring?"

The French man smiled and helped her into a black taxi waiting nearby. "Lara, you will be raiding tombs in no time."

…………………..

Sorry for the long update time. If you have time, please review! I love to know what you think of my idea. I have tried to be original. Can you tell me if Jean-Yves had a last name? Or is Yves his last name? Oh well, thanks for reading. Till next time,

Dan.


	4. Chapter Three

Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I have finished one of my other stories, starting to write another and I just haven't had the time. Anyway, I have a chapter to another story to write so I will shut up now and get on with it!

**CHAPTER THREE**

Lara found herself in an old fashioned apartment in the Parisian suburbs. She had just spent the last hour travelling in a car with Jean-Yves. They had not spoken at all; neither knowing what to say.

The main room of the apartment was a spacious room with blue wooden panelling. There were several chaise-lounges scattered across the room, adding a French touch to everything.

Lara tried to hide her distaste at the room.

Jean-Yves showed her to a room at the back of the apartment. It was painted dark red and had a dark wooden floor. The four poster bed added a touch of elegance. There was a doorway leading to a sterile white bathroom with all the necessities and a deep closet stood in a corner of the room.

Lara mumbled a thank you. Jean shut the oak door behind him, leaving Lara to contemplate her day of events. She had no idea how this would turn out and that thought scared her.

Feeling dirty, Lara took a shower, allowing the water to clear the thoughts from her body. She lathered some shampoo into her hair and allowed the suds to drip away under the projection of water.

Her mind flashed back to the last events at her father's house. She had come to the conclusion that what happened was for the best. It allowed Lara to love the life she wanted to live and also make her father happy.

She thought back to Aunt Kate, wondering if she was even still alive.

Finding that the shower no longer had answers to her problems, Lara stepped out onto the white ceramic floor. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and wondered what she would be doing in 10 years from now.

She had never wanted to get married and she had never pictured herself as a mother; but who knows? It could happen.

Lara dried herself and walked back into the red room. The room was very warm, thanks to a little fireplace that had a small blaze burning happily inside of it. She grabbed a blue tank top and some white pyjama bottoms. She quickly did her hair up in its usual braid.

Lara was sitting on her bed reading when a knock came at the door.

Lara got up and opened the oak wood, revealing the face of Jean-Yves.

"Lara, dinner is ready," Jean said, leaving the door open for her to follow him.

Lara sat down at the table on the far side of the blue room. There was a table set up for two and some indescribable liquid in a bowl. Lara heaved at the food as Jean loaded a bowl full of it.

Lara smiled and grabbed a spoon from the linen clad table.

Jean was looking at her with his intense brown eyes, obviously waiting for her to take the first bite. Recognising her fate, Lara loaded her spoon with the mush in her bowl and quickly stuffed it in her mouth.

The food tasted like rubber mixed with various stomach medicines. Lara swallowed as fast as she could, hoping the taste would disappear with the food.

"It is snail and pea soup. One of my specialties," Jean said to her. With extreme difficulty, Lara tried not to throw up all over the table.

She ate her way through the meal, wondering that if this was his specialty, then his worst meals must be inedible.

Finally, the bowls were clean. Jean looked at her with his piercing eyes and seemed to find what he wanted.

"Do you know you are the first person who has ever eaten that to stop my feelings getting hurt?"

Lara blushed slightly and grabbed her glass of wine, which she had saved for the last in an attempt to wash away the taste.

Lara knocked back the whole glass before answering him.

"British etiquette," she mumbled, not willing to open her mouth for more than a few seconds.

Jean laughed at her comment and took the bowls away. Lara paced the room, looking at the photographs that lined the walls. She paused when she saw a familiar face in a photo that must have been about six or seven years old.

"This is Werner Von Croy," Lara yelled to Jean who was in the kitchen, cleaning up the gruel she had endured for the past half an hour.

Jean re-appeared, drying his hands on a towel. "Yes, he came to me to learn about some Egyptian artifact. It is called the Amulet of Horus. We never did find it, or find out where it was."

Lara could feel a lecture coming on, so she stopped him before he could go on: "I went with Von Croy to Cambodia once, about five years ago. The building started to collapse and I barely managed to escape. The last thing I know is that he is still in there."

She glanced over at Jean who was listening to her tale with interest.

"Lara, I can tell there is not much you can learn from me. Go to Cambodia and try and find Von Croy. You will learn more than you could ever learn from me by actually doing these things yourself."

Lara nodded at his plan. _An adventure. A real adventure, just for me_, she thought cheerfully, knowing that this could be her chance to follow her dreams.

"Sleep the night and I expect to see you gone by the time I wake up. Take whatever you need; I believe you have enough money for a flight to Cambodia?"

Lara merely nodded at him, for once again she was looking into the face of her old mentor.

"It is about time I paid Werner a visit," Lara said under her breath.

Lara awoke the next morning ready to depart for her first adventure. She did not know what she would find, but she did know that this was what she wanted to do.

Lara slipped on a green tank top and a brown pair of hot pants. Cambodia had a warm climate and there was no point in boiling to death.

She clipped on a belt that had two holsters on each hip. She owned no weapons, but she might need to buy some to protect her from the wilderness in which the temple she had visited long ago with Werner was situated.

With her hair back in her usual braid, she crept out of the room holding her brown bag. She had her wallet stuffed full of money, her passport and a toothbrush and toothpaste already in it.

Lara had an obsession with clean teeth and was not going anywhere without her toothbrush.

She glanced at the clock which read 7:03 am. She slid into the kitchen quietly and grabbed a first aid kit from the counter, no doubt left there by Jean. She also grabbed some rations, carefully avoiding the leftovers of last nights 'meal' that she had brought up during the night.

Finally packed and ready to go, Lara clipped the bag shut. She opened the door and descended the carpeted stairs to the front of the apartment complex where a taxi was waiting for her.

_So, here begins Lara Croft: the adventurer,_ she thought happily, motioning for the driver to move to her destination.

The airport.

I know this chapter is fairly short but I wanted to start the adventure in a new chapter.

If you have time please review. I would like to know if the story is going in the right direction.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews.

Till next time,

Dan


	5. Chapter Four

Well, hello. I had some inspiration so I decided to write this chapter! Not that anyone's complaining, at least I hope not.

Thank you for the reviews, especially Angelina28Rose. I'm glad you can picture the things clearly.

Well, that is all I have to say, shall I start?

The large part in italics is a dream.

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Lara woke up with a start. The jolt from the turbulence was enough for anyone to wake from a peaceful slumber.

She was currently on a plane to Cambodia to see if she could find any clues as to the whereabouts of her old mentor, Werner Von Croy. She had not seen the man since she had dived out of the collapsing temple five years ago.

Lara brushed a stray lock of dark hair away from her face and looked around the plane. She had noticed before she fell asleep that she had received many odd looks from the other passengers. They all seemed to be against her practical outfit that screamed adventurer.

Lara couldn't be bothered with these people. She had said as much to someone who had the courage to ask her what she was wearing.

Lara locked glances with a dark haired man around the same age as her. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed to read her soul. Lara felt herself looking deeper into his eyes, wondering who he was. For one of the first times in her life she was out of breath and at loss for words.

Lara fell back into an uneasy sleep. She was haunted by nightmares of the plane crash that changed her life.

_Lara woke up to the smell of burning flesh. The powerful stench filled her nostrils until she snapped her eyes open._

_She tried not to panic as she remembered where she was and what situation she was in._

_Just hours before Lara had been on a normal flight from a skiing trip, until the plane hit some heavy turbulence. Engine failure occurred and the plane ploughed into the wildlife in the Himalayas. Her last conscious memory was of the initial crash. She bumped her head on the seat and left consciousness._

_Lara looked around at the mess of the plane. The fuel had caught fire and was burning some of the corpses that were littered around the twisted metal._

_Wanting to get out before she was burned, Lara tugged at the restraint that held her in place. After several futile minutes of this, she realised that she had to think of a more drastic method. Her dark eyes searched the surrounding area for anything that might help her. Eventually her dark orbs lay upon a small, jagged piece of metal. She reached out for it with a cut arm and used it to hack away her seatbelt._

_Lara quickly crawled out of the little recess that the twisted metal had made; the one that had saved her life. She found herself on the floor in a deep jungle. Pieces of charred metal lay everywhere, destroying the natural environment._

_She crawled as far away from the crash site as possible. When she was a comfortable distance away, Lara slowed down and propped herself up against a rock. _

_She quickly searched for any broken bones. She was no doctor so she was not sure, but everything worked fine._

_She then drew her attention to the few major cuts she had. The long gash on her left arm was bleeding profusely and did not want to stop. She also had a gash on her forehead that obscured her vision with blood. There were also a few scratches on her that did not warrant any specific attention._

Thank the heavens I had a tetanus injection before I came,_ she thought to herself._

_She shrugged off her now ruined jacket and tore it into long strips. The thin material broke easily and swiftly. She grabbed a strip and started to tie it around her arm tightly in an effort to the stop the bleeding, or at least protect it from any germs. She did the same for her forehead._

_Lara allowed herself a few moments rest before she started to comprehend the situation she was in. It was obvious that she needed shelter and full medical care, but until she could find a village she would have to put up with her own wits for her survival._

_Her eyes were drifting shut again when she heard a large explosion. The ground shook beneath her, causing her to slide down the rock she was leaning against. _

_She realised that something had landed at her feet; something that smelled so awful that she was choking._

_Lara crawled over to the curious object, no doubt sent flying by the explosion of the plane._

_It took her a few moments to realise she was staring at a burnt corpse. _

_The corpse of her boyfriend Sam._

_Lara screamed herself hoarse, knowing that she was very much alone in a foreign land..._

Lara felt her voice escape her throat. She was screaming as the memories of the crash entered her mind. She heard someone trying to calm her.

Deciding to awaken from this dreadful slumber, the brunette opened her eyes and found herself staring into the blue eyes of the man she had noticed before she had fallen asleep.

It took her a few more seconds to realise that she was on the floor in the gangway, with the entire crew standing over the man.

Lara was confused at the situation and sat herself up. She stared into his cerulean eyes before accepting a glass of water from one of the flight attendants.

Lara smiled at the attendants and stood herself up. She mumbled an apology to the passengers and sat back in her seat.

The odd glances did not look her way again; apparently they found her too mad to even look at. Lara once again was drawn to those blue eyes that she had awoken to. He was clearly looking at her to make sure she was alright. Lara found herself flattered at the thought that he cared about her well being.

She gave him a small smile before breaking the eye contact. She shook herself from her infatuation with the man. She had no idea who he was and wanted it to stay that way.

"Good Afternoon passengers, we will shortly be arriving at Phnom Penh (A.N. Capital of Cambodia) International Airport. Would all passengers please fasten their seat belts and prepare for landing."

The voice over the intercom was annoying and posh, but Lara was relieved that the flight was finally over.

Lara waited the last few moments and waited for the plane to stop moving before disembarking.

Lara felt the fresh air on her face as she walked across the dirt runway. The strong wind blew the long hair from her face and dried the layer of sweat from the dream she had on the plane. The air smelled of flowers and plane fuel. Not a desirable combination, but it gave the airport a more natural feeling.

Lara stepped into the cool shade of the airport where the conveyer belts for the luggage were situated. Lara failed to notice the blue eyed man watching her as she grabbed her luggage from the conveyer belt.

After showing the essential passport, she looked around the entrance of the airport for her guide.

She had paid a man to take her to the temple she had abandoned five years ago. Lara spotted a sign saying "Lara Croft" and walked over to him.

The man had dark skin and intense brown eyes. His hair was in curls and fell to his shoulders. (A.N. Think of Michael Jackson around Thriller.)

Lara shook his hand. "Hello, I am Lara Croft."

The man nodded and smiled at her, showing perfect white teeth. "I am Miael Jacques; I will show you the jeep."

Miael had a distinct American accent.

"Why have you got a French surname and an American accent when you live in Cambodia?" she asked, genuinely interested in his peculiar traits.

Miael smiled again and took her by the shoulders. "Ask no questions and you will receive no lies," he said simply. He led a confused Lara into a nearby Jeep and stowed her luggage in the back.

"Welcome to Cambodia," Miael stated, before stepping onto full throttle out of the airport...

………………..

There we go.

Most of you should no that the man with the blue eyes is Kurtis Trent. Should I introduce him into the story? Do you like Miael or should I kill him off?

Most importantly, I would like feedback on the part I wrote on the plane crash, was it realistic? I have no idea and just did it form the top of my head. Anyhow…

Thanks for reading,

Dan.


	6. Chapter Five

Well here I am, back again with the next chapter!

Thank you for the reviews, I have more than I expected for this story already, thank you so much.

To Angelina28Rose, I see your point now, I realise I did write Lara too many times. I originally wanted the dream bit to be as if it was told from on onlooker's perspective, as if you were seeing what happened. Needless to say, it didn't work so I changed the major bits to make it from Lara's perspective. Sorry about that.

Well, my GCSE mock exams start tomorrow for the next two weeks so don't expect a lot of updates. I will aim to write one on Friday and post it that night. Sorry about this.

Oh and in case anyone doesn't know, Miael Jacques, Miael is Michael without the 'ch' and Jacques looks like Jackson.

Right, I'll shut up now and start to write…

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Lara glanced over to Miael who was driving the jeep. He was very handsome; she had to admit it.

The journey passed in silence with the endless forests to keep her occupied. Eventually night fell and she started to shiver with cold.

"We will camp here for the night and move to the temple tomorrow," Miael said to her, whilst parking the car. Lara hopped out of the jeep and promptly started to walk and stretch her legs.

Miael was starting a fire so she did not have much to do. She sat against a rock and started to think about her Aunt again, wondering if she was still alive. She tried to stop the flow of tears down her cheeks but she found that she could not stop them. Those two months had been the happiest of her life, and now she had to fend for herself. A part of that attracted her, while the other scared her. She would be all alone in the very big world.

She felt an arm slip around her shoulder and she met eyes with Miael. The fire made his eyes glow and she found herself melting.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Lara nodded, not wanting to make a scene out of it.

"So where are you from Miael?" She asked him, trying to change the subject.

He glanced at her and smiled, finally freeing her from his embrace. "It's quite complicated. See, I was born in America, but then we moved to England. My father was French and my mother Canadian, but they both were killed in a car crash so then I moved here when I was 16."

Lara nodded all the way through his tale and immediately felt her heart go out to the man.

"So how old are you?" she asked, moving closer to the warm flame.

"Twenty," he replied.

Lara once again glanced over to him, noticing his youthful looks. However, his eyes showed a lot of wisdom, making him look older than he really was.

"Enough about me. What about you?" he asked her, looking deep into her eyes as if her secrets were revealed in their hazel pits.

"Well, my title is Lady Lara Croft. Clip notes version; well, my father disowned me because I wanted to be an adventurer, then I met my Aunt who persuaded me to go for my dreams on her deathbed. I am 21 and I have survived a plane crash."

Lara stopped to breathe and looked over at Miael who was obviously shocked at the information.

"Oh and I never met my mother," Lara added before he could say anything.

"I thought I was screwed up!" He exclaimed playfully, receiving a well deserved punch on the arm.

Lara looked at him sternly, her porcelain face refusing to show a smile. Eventually it became too much for either of them and they burst out laughing.

"Right, sleep. We have a big day ahead of us," he said to her, producing a sleeping bag from the jeep.

"Here, you have it, I forgot to bring two."

Lara smiled at his politeness but refused to let him freeze all night.

"Don't be stupid, we'll share it."

Lara promptly grabbed the green sleeping bag and unzipped all the zips, resulting in a large single duvet.

"We'll have to put up with the floor." Lara added, noticing the smirk growing on his face.

Miael smiled at her again, showing his perfect teeth. "Well, there are compensations."

Lara felt her cheeks flush and turned away from the handsome man. She grabbed the sleeping bag and curled up in it. She felt Miael hop in next to her, but they did not speak. Lara was trying to think of a way she could avoid being touched by him the whole night.

Lara was absolutely freezing. She had gotten uncomfortable being so close to a man she was infatuated with, so she decided to get out of the sleeping bag and sleep against a rock.

After half an hour of trying to sleep, Lara decided to go for a walk. The moonlight provided enough light for her to walk confidently and she felt that it was a good trial for her adventuring.

Soon she found a little pool with a small waterfall. The picturesque view seemed to call Lara. She let it take her heart. She quickly undressed herself and stepped in.

The water was freezing, but she found she didn't care. She hadn't had a shower in about three days so anything with water was a treat.

She fiddled with her braid until it came loose, sending dark torrents down her back. She stepped under the waterfall and was wondered by the feeling it had on her skin.

She nearly jumped with fright when a pair of arms encircled her waist. She leapt around and was met with the smiling face of Miael.

It was then she remembered she was garmentless. She wrapped her arms around her chest much too late, for he had already seen it. She felt her cheeks burn red with embarrassment.

She then noticed that he too was wearing nothing.

Their eyes met and she felt every trouble in the world disappear. He stepped closer to her, as if trying to see how close he could get to her before she moved away.

Lara stayed where she was, mesmerised by his eyes, which seemed to twinkle in the moonlight.

He moved closer, until their faces were inches apart. Lara let her arms drop to her side. Miael didn't even look down at her now revealed cleavage.

He lowered his face down to her hers. She could feel his wet curls tickle her cheek.

He closed the gap between their lips and he kissed her hungrily. It was clear from the kiss that he had wanted to do this ever since he had laid eyes on her.

After what seemed like an eternity, he broke away from her. "Don't run off again," he said in a trying-to-be-angry tone. It was evident he was not in the least bit angry with her, but he wanted her to think it anyway.

He lifted her small body and took her to the small camp they had erected. He sat her by the fire and they snuggled up to each other until they were dry enough to lie again in the sleeping bag. Only this time she wanted to be closer to him, not further away.

………………………

I'm sorry about the romance at the end, I am a hopeless romantic at heart and I just wanted to write this.

Right, so if anyone reading this wants to keep the author happy, this is how to do it:

1. Write a review and let me know what you think of this chapter.

2. WRITE MORE KURTIS/ LARA FICTION!

3. Update your stories if they are Kurtis/Lara fanfics.

That said, I will see you all later!

Dan


	7. Chapter Six

Well hello there everyone!

I'm a bit depressed at the moment so the following chapter may include some distressing scenes, so you are warned.

Plus, sorry to kytana for the spelling and typos, if it is really bad in places, will you email me and tell me where it is unbearable, if it is okay then don't bother. Oh, by the way, there is a HUGE plot twist in this chapter, or the next, depending on how much I write. Also, I scare a lot of people (usually with my looks, lol) so don't feel bad about it.

Well, nothing more to say now so I'll shut up and write the chapter.

**CHAPTER SIX**

Lara felt a small tingling sensation on her cheek. She sat up abruptly and almost head butted Miael, who was kissing her to wake her up.

"Oh, sorry," Lara said sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked down at herself and realised she was not wearing anything. Lara moved to cover herself quickly, causing Miael to chuckle slightly.

"A bit too late for modesty now, isn't it Lara?" he asked her, flashing a smile.

Lara pretended to laugh and went in search of her clothes. It took about five minutes to realise that the fully dressed Miael was holding them out for her.

She slapped him on the arm playfully and took her clothes. She slipped on her jungle attire and joined Miael with breakfast.

"When are we going to start today?" Lara asked, still braiding her long hair.

"After breakfast," he replied, before starting on his fried egg sandwiches. Lara smiled and grabbed one for herself too, knowing that she had to conserve the energy she had.

They didn't say much while eating. Miael seemed strangely distant with her now, which was odd because less than an hour ago they were as close as any two humans could get, both physically and mentally.

"Do you have any regrets?" Lara asked, as they packed away their camp and buried the ashes form the fire.

Miael, who had just finished putting the sleeping bag in the jeep, turned and looked at her in the eye for the first time that morning.

"No, I don't, but if this creates a tension between us I will because the Jungle can be a dangerous place when preoccupied."

Lara nodded at his answer and went in search of any items that had been left behind. Noting that everything was packed away, she slung her brown bag over her shoulder and leaped into the jeep, sitting next to Miael.

"Right, off we go then," Miael said humourlessly while speeding off.

Lara kept to looking at the tropical landscape than attempt any conversation. She was at a complete loss for words. She had shared herself with him and now he was acting as if nothing had occurred between them. Lara truly felt confused.

"Right, I'm stopping here for a piss," Miael said bluntly, cutting off the engines. The dark skinned man leapt out of the car, not bothering to undo the door.

"Make sure I don't hear anything," Lara called out to the retreating figure, knowing that he was smiling.

Lara looked around the jeep. They were on a dirt track road that seemed familiar; no doubt she had travelled along this road with Von Croy a few years ago.

She felt something staring at her. It was an odd feeling, a feeling that made the hair stand up straight on the back of her neck. She didn't know what to do. It was probably a jungle animal. Her mind began racing through the venomous creatures that resided in the Cambodian rainforest.

She turned around suddenly, hoping to see the creature before it attacked. Her mind went blank as she focused on two brilliantly blue eyes, hovering in the undergrowth. The cerulean depths seemed to drink her, chain her to their gaze.

_They are too intelligent to be animal's eyes, _Lara thought to herself, no longer frightened, just looking at the eyes.

She was brought back to reality when Miael jumped back into the jeep. He immediately started the engine and started to drive off.

"No!" Lara stated, looking frantically around for the eyes again.

"What's wrong?"

It took Lara a moment to register the voice penetrating her thoughts. She turned to look at the handsome face of Miael. His eyes were full of concern.

Lara sighed, knowing that she was the cause of this. "I'm sorry; I saw these eyes, probably belonging to a monkey or something."

Even Lara could tell she was making a bad job of lying, but she was too preoccupied to care.

Miael continued to gaze at her before leaping out of the car again, grabbing a rifle that was stored in the back.

"Where did they come from?" he asked, loading the gun with several bullets.

"You're not going to shoot it are you?" Lara asked, horrified that he would do such a thing to a harmless creature that was acting on instinct.

"Not much of a Tomb Raider are you?" he taunted, allowing a smile to grace his features.

"I am just saying; don't kill it if you don't have to."

He nodded at her and went to look in the bush that she was pointing at. Several tense minutes followed, waiting for any reply from Miael.

He emerged several minutes later with something in his hand. He ran back over to her and jumped into the jeep, immediately stepping on the throttle.

"Lara, did you see anything else?" he asked her gravely, still clutching his discovery in one hand. Miael was looking at the road, not acknowledging her at all.

"No. I was entranced by its eyes," Lara admitted, knowing that she sounded stupid.

Miael slammed the brakes down in the middle of the road, sending Lara forward. He grabbed her shirt, causing it to tear, to prevent her from flying through the windscreen.

He put a hand on each of her shoulders and turned her to face him. She looked straight into his eyes, noticing that he was staring deep into hers.

"I found this," he mumbled. "Do you know what it is?"

Lara looked down at his hand and saw an intricately carved circle with holes, presumably for fingers. Lara took it from his hand and slipped it onto her fingers. With her free hand she felt the grooves in the metal.

Without warning spikes emitted from the side, causing it to become a lethal weapon. Lara felt it soar out of her hand, and they both watched it fly across the horizon, leaving a trail of yellow sparks behind it.

"Well, I never," Lara managed to say, before Miael stated that they needed to get moving.

…………………

It had been three hours since the discovery of the mysterious object, and they had spent the time travelling.

Lara knew that they were nearing the site of the temple; a place that she had avoided like the plague. Her mind had never really comprehended what had happened there; all she knew was that it was time to find out.

Miael slowed down the car and pulled to a stop at the side of the road.

"We have a twenty minute walk before we find it," Miael said, unloading his bag and rifle for the walk. Lara grabbed her bag which she had dumped on the floor of the car and leapt out as well, eager to stretch her legs.

"Let's go then," Lara said, hoping to complete her task before nightfall.

The twosome set off into the depths of the jungle. Lara walked in silence, preparing herself for the task ahead.

"So, what happened here before? You said that you had been here before."

Lara glanced up at Miael, astounded that he was actually starting a conversation. She had come to realise that it had been a one night stand during the day; him ignoring her was a big hint.

"Well, I was getting training under the watchful eye of Werner Von Croy. He had promised me to help in my tomb raiding, however his greed led to him being trapped and I have come to see what has happened in five years."

Lara could tell that Miael did not understand, but she was grateful that he did not ask questions.

The rest of the walk passed in silence.

Lara was the first to notice the rubble of the temple, looming in the distance.

The two approached it with caution.

"Here is the entrance," Lara said, pointing to a ruined doorway.

The two stepped into the temple, cautious of the crumbling floor and the piles of rubble around them.

Their progress was slow, due to the piles of rock blocking certain paths. Soon they reached an open area filled with water, and the ruins of a waterfall in the distance. Lara remembered being here five years ago, knowing what she had to do.

Without a comment Lara dived into the water and swum to the other side. Her lungs ached terribly and she knew it would take a while to get used to this way of living.

She broke the surface about a minute after she had leapt in. She heaved herself onto a ledge and pulled a switch, lowering a bridge for Miael. She ran around to join him, still dripping wet; hair plastered to her face.

"A little trip down memory lane is exactly what a girl needs," Lara said, no trace of humour in her voice.

She started to shiver; the wind was blowing her wet clothes, causing them to feel even colder. She felt warm arms surround her. She looked up to the smiling face of Miael.

_Maybe it wasn't a one night stand, _Lara thought to herself.

She allowed herself to enjoy the moment for five minutes before she broke away.

"I'll get you wet too," Lara said, causing a now soaked Miael to smile.

"A little late for that isn't it?"

Lara burst out laughing and the two continued deeper into the temple with a lighter air between them.

It took ten minutes to reach the main artefact room in the temple. Lara noticed that most of it was still intact. The globe in the centre of the room was open; the Iris missing. There was no sign of Werner.

Lara looked around the room, hoping to find any clue as to where her former mentor had gone. It took about five minutes to realise that he had escaped through a hole in the wall.

She turned around to see Miael walking across the bridge to the iris.

"MIAEL, NO!" Lara yelled at the top of her voice.

It happened in around five seconds. A loud snap echoed around the room; the sound of the bridge collapsing. Lara looked as Miael fell into the boiling lava below, hearing a sickening splat of his body hitting the hot liquid.

Lara felt like she was going to be sick. The room gave a shudder as rocks fell from the ceiling. The building was too old to stand the pressure of the lava any longer, and was therefore collapsing. Lara felt herself fall to the ground, preparing to die.

Like Miael had.

Lara felt warm arms pick her up. The person who was holding her was sprinting towards the hole in the wall; the one that Werner had probably escaped from.

The person continued to sprint when they clambered through the hole. Lara heard the sound of the temple collapsing. The force knocked her saviour off their feet.

Lara fell against the ground hard. The person, who she could tell was a man, was lying on top of her to protect her from the flying debris. Lara looked into oddly familiar blue eyes before slipping out of consciousness.

…………………………

There. An evil cliffy. Well, I'm sorry that took a while to get up, but now its here, can you please review, go on, you know you want to.

Every great story has a person dying in it. Miael was mine. I decided that I wanted to take this fic into another direction, but I'm not gonna tell you what, you're gonna have to wait for the next chappie.

I'm evil aren't I?

A big thank you again to anyone who has reviewed.

Dan.


	8. Chapter Seven

Thanks for the reviews again! I've been ill lately and it is nice to know my work has not gone with my health.

**Kytana-** sorry if some of it didn't make sense, hopefully it will make sense now. You will have to read to find out about the thing with the blue eyes.

**Shauniwritesit**- Of course I don't mind you calling me that! Do I write good stories? I have another idea for a story coming up but I said I will finish the two I am writing first!

Well, thanks again and now I will write the next chapter!

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Lara opened her eyes and found herself lying on a hard floor with nothing but trees above her. It took her a full two minutes to realise the events of yesterday were not a dream, and that Miael was dead, the temple had collapsed and that she had been saved by a stranger with blue eyes.

Lara stood up and brushed the leaves and dirt from her clothes. A quick scan of the area told her that the person who had saved her was not here.

"You're awake I see?" a deep American voice said behind her.

She turned on the spot, causing her braid to flip over her shoulder. She found herself staring at a man, around six feet tall with the deep cerulean eyes she remembered. He had dark hair that got in the way of his eyes and he was wearing green shorts and a tee shirt, presumably to help disguise him in the jungle.

"And who are you?" Lara asked in her British accent, knowing that the only way to get out of a situation like this was to talk, for she had noticed the strange circular object on his hip and a gun in his holster.

"I could ask the same question of you," he said simply, dropping the pile of twigs he had collected; no doubt to start a fire.

"Lady Lara Croft," she mumbled, hoping that her class would help keep her alive.

"A lady huh? Well, I should feel honoured. I am Kurtis Trent, the guy who you saw on the plane."

Lara gasped in recognition, surprised with herself for not noticing before. She nodded, hoping that her surprise was not that obvious.

"So why are you in the Cambodian jungle Lady Croft?" Kurtis asked, his American voice dripping with interest.

"You can probably guess that," she answered coolly, not wanting to give away details to someone she didn't know.

"I could, but it is better to hear it from the horse's mouth. We have plenty of time. I need to make breakfast and you need to eat it."

Lara nodded and sat down opposite Kurtis; a pile of wood separating them. He was having trouble lighting it, so Lara grabbed a lighter from her bag and did it for him.

"You don't seem the kind of lady to smoke Ms Croft," Kurtis said to her, looking in awe at the fire before them.

"I don't Mr Trent. A lighter is always useful to carry around though."

He nodded at her simply, allowing her to realise that she was in the middle of a forest with a complete stranger.

"Mr Trent, I thank you for what you did, but I really must be getting on my way."

Lara stood up and shook his hand, trying to be as formal as possible whilst trying to disguise her fear that he would not let her go.

"You are not going anywhere," Kurtis said to her, grabbing her arm to keep her from running. Lara knew it was hopeless to resist so she sank back down in defeat and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Surprisingly she felt no pain from Miael's death. It was as if something was blocking the flow of guilt and grief to her body.

"I need to get back to England Mr Trent. Why do you insist on keeping me captive?" Lara asked, hoping to get answers and to find out whether or not she was going to die.

Kurtis looked up at her again, making her feel weak inside. She ignored those oddly familiar feelings, thinking it would be inappropriate to think like that about her captor.

"I will escort you back to the airport so you can get to England. You will not survive on your own in the jungle."

Lara scowled at him, allowing her beautiful features to look ugly.

"You are too presumptuous Mr Trent. I have survived a plane crash in the Himalayas by myself and I see no reason why I could not do the same again."

Lara crossed her legs in front of her and ignored the sandwich he had just given her.

"Maybe so Lady Croft, but I would not like to see you killed. It would make a rather large mess."

Lara laughed at his words, finding no reason why she found this so funny.

"I haven't poisoned that sandwich Ms Croft," Kurtis said to her, eating his own sandwich.

Lara looked at him closely, trying to see the truth in the blue depths that were his eyes. Eventually she picked up the sandwich, figuring that if he wanted to kill her he would try again anyway if the sandwich was poisoned.

"My name is Lara. I do not like to be addressed as Lady or Ms Croft," she said, before taking a bite of the sandwich, which revealed it was not poisoned.

"I will call you Lara if you don't call me Mr Trent."

Lara smiled at his comment and continued to eat the sandwich, finding that she was actually hungry.

"So tell me Kurtis; what brings you to the Cambodian forest?" Lara asked, trying to make small talk.

"Never mind Lara. We must be going now," Kurtis answered before standing up, brushing crumbs from his tee shirt.

She could tell by the tone of his voice that she should not pursue the subject.

Soon enough the blue eyed American had led her to a jeep nearby. She was a little nervous about getting into a car with a complete stranger, but decided that if he had wanted to hurt her he would have done it by now.

She climbed in next to Kurtis and the two sped out of the jungle onto a nearby dirt track.

The jeep thundered down the brown road for about two hours before reaching the capital of Cambodia. The airport was in sight and for some reason Lara did not want the drive to end.

They had spent the two hours talking, laughing and getting to know each other. It turned out that Kurtis had never visited England and she was very torn between asking him to accompany her.

"Before we go to the airport I need to find out something," Lara said to him, as they had stopped outside the airport.

"Where to Miss?" Kurtis asked in a fake English accent.

"The public library," Lara ordered, in the voice she reserved for dinner parties.

They both laughed as Kurtis sped through the small streets to the library.

…………………………

The library was once a church and therefore had a very ancient feel to it. They both felt out of place in their jungle attire but never the less she had to find out about Werner. That was the reason she was here.

To find Werner and see if he was alive.

Lara was surprised to find a computer in the library; such a historic place did not seem the place for such new technology. Lara marvelled at the fact that it could do all searches and calculations for her. It even had a game called Pacman.

Lara searched 'Von Croy' on the computer. Only one result was found, making her life a lot easier. The green words seemed to buzz from the black background. The plain text held no knowledge of the reaction three simple words had on Lara.

_Von Croy Industries_

Lara gasped at the words, and on further reading found that Werner had started a company in London underneath her nose.

"What is it Lara?" Kurtis said, concerned at her lack of speech.

"I've come to this country for no reason. That means that Miael died for no reason…"

Lara finally felt a wave of pain crush her defences and tears began to fill her eyes. She was not going to cry in front of Kurtis. She was not going to show the annoying American any sign of weakness.

"I will wait in the jeep," Lara said to him, eager to get out of the old library as quick as possible.

…………………………

Lara felt herself racked with sobs as soon as she sat in the car. She couldn't stop herself, and was even more upset by the odd looks she was receiving.

Eventually the crying stopped. She dried her eyes and waited for Kurtis to emerge from the library.

After half an hour she thought he was not going to turn up.

_Well, at least I do not look a fright anymore_, Lara thought to herself, glad that the red blotches on her skin had vanished.

She waited a further five minutes and was most shocked when Kurtis emerged from the marble building, carrying a stack of books. He got into the jeep without comment and drove on to the airport.

"What are the books for Kurtis?" Lara asked, hoping that there was a valid reason for him keeping her waiting, not just that he felt like reading.

"Never mind Lara," he mumbled, focusing on the road.

They did not speak through the whole journey and they did not even look at each other until they had arrived at the airport.

Lara stepped out of the car and grabbed her bag. Swinging it over her shoulder she noticed that Kurtis did not climb out of the car.

"Kurtis, Mr Trent. Thank you for your aid; it has been of great benefit to me. I hope we see each other again."

Lara went over to shake his hand and was most surprised when he leapt out of the car and stood next to her.

He reached over and grabbed her hand, kissing the knuckles; the custom for first class women. Lara blushed as his lips touched her bare skin. He offered her his arm and they both went into the airport, not caring about what happened to the Jeep.

"I've seen them do that at the pictures and I've always wanted to do it," Kurtis said, explaining his behaviour. Lara laughed and went over to buy the tickets, for Kurtis had said that it would be rude to leave her on her own.

Half an hour later, the odd duo were on the plane to England.

"So where exactly do you live?" Kurtis asked, bringing back memories of her Aunt Kate for Lara.

"A manor house," Lara replied, laughing at the shocked expression on his face.

………………………..

There we go, I hope that was okay, I actually liked this chapter.

I might as well say it now, and I will say it at the beginning of the next chapter. As you can see this story is going AU, Alternate Universe, which basically means that I am not really following the timeline anymore. It is fan FICTION after all, fiction being the emphasized word.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Please review and tell me what you think.

Dan.


	9. Chapter Eight

Hello again, well, here I am with another chapter, first to the reviewers,

**kytana**- I'm sorry, I don't know if you did it deliberately, but I didn't understand your point at the end. The general thing about typos, well I am sorry that my spelling isn't perfect, and I know it must be annoying, but at the end of the day, I'm not a perfect speller and I never will be, I do check through the chapter but some obviously elude my gaze, so I will try but please, it is getting annoying you keeping on going on about it, I don't mean to be rude, but I know it is a problem and I am working on it. I'm glad you are okay with my changing the timeline slightly, well a lot, but I have an idea for where this is going. Thanks for your review.

**Shauniwritesit**- I gather you liked my plot twist. I was going to do Alex, because introduced him earlier in the story, but since I prefer Kurtis and knew a lot more about him, it seemed like a better choice.

**Lara-is-my-rolemodel**- Thank you for the review, yeah I know I used Titanic, I love that movie and I am writing a fic for it so I had to put it into this one! I'm glad you like that Kurtis is in it because I originally was gonna have Alex, but I like Kurtis more. And I love your fic so I would review it any time!

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Lara stepped into her cold bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Her tears were streaming down her face; she felt like she hadn't cried as much as she did now.

The flight to England with Kurtis had been uneventful and they arrived at the manor safely. Once at the Tudor house she was greeted with the knowledge of her Aunt's passing by Winston, the butler. She knew she was dying, and she had thought she was prepared. It turned out the shock and the grief was so intense that she couldn't even eat.

She ran immediately to the grave in the grounds and spent half an hour in mourning, talking to her deceased Aunt; a mother to her. She had left a startled Kurtis in the entrance of the manor, where he had remained until she returned. He had offered his shoulder to cry on and he led her upstairs to sleep.

She looked around her large room and realised that she didn't even have a picture of her Aunt, which made her cry even louder.

Eventually her sobs left her and she was allowed some time to breathe.

Lara went into her en suite bathroom, deciding that a deep, hot bath would help. The brunette stepped into the cool, blue room and turned on the taps for the bath. She poured in some scented bubble bath and waited for the water level to rise.

She used this time to study her reflection in the simple mirror. She looked tired. Dark rings lurked underneath her beautiful eyes; her hair was matted and greasy. It had not been washed for days. Small cuts covered her arms from the branches of the jungle. The clothes were in tatters and filthy.

She was suddenly disgusted with herself, wondering how Kurtis could put up with her. She immediately dumped her clothes and shaved her legs. She had not realised how personal hygiene was forgotten on a trip like the one she had just experienced.

The bath was relaxing. She felt her anxieties leave with the mud on her skin. Her hair received its well deserved wash. She trimmed her nails and made sure that she looked nice for Kurtis.

_Why do I care what he thinks of me? My Aunt is dead and all I care about is how good I look for him. What is wrong with me?_ Her thoughts whirled in her head, trying to find the missing answers.

She slipped out of the bathroom half an hour later and leapt into bed naked, needing to feel the covers on her skin.

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

………………………..

Sunlight streamed through the windows, causing Lara to stir. The velvet covers begged her to stay in the bed, but she knew that she had to talk to Kurtis today. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him, causing her to scowl. She knew that if he had this kind of influence on her only bad things could come later on.

She dressed quickly in tight fitting black jeans and a black tank top. Today was a day of mourning for the loss of her Aunt and even Miael. She had to dress appropriately. Lara left her hair down, knowing her Aunt loved it like this. She only gave it a brush and brushed her teeth.

She exited her room and walked slowly down the stairs. Her stomach was rumbling in pain; urgently calling for food. She decided to go eat breakfast before starting her day.

She entered the large kitchen to find Kurtis at the table, drinking some coffee and reading the paper. The unusual sight made her laugh, causing Kurtis to look up at her.

"Are you feeling better Lara?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Lara smiled at him, hoping that she looked better than last night.

"You look much better this morning. Obviously some sleep did you good," he continued in his American accent.

Lara smiled at him and made some toast. Winston was nowhere to be seen. She refused to let him make her breakfast; she was determined to show the world that she was independent and not another lazy rich girl.

She sat down opposite Kurtis and noticed that he had changed his clothes somehow.

"I went shopping this morning," Kurtis said to her, rolling a cigarette.

Lara scowled at him and grabbed the cigarette from his mouth.

"Smoking is bad for you," Lara stated simply, throwing the death stick into the bin.

Kurtis' glare followed her back to her seat, causing her to suppress a laugh.

"There is no smoking in this house," she stated simply, trying to be hurt by his glare.

"I'm sorry about your Aunt," Kurtis said to her, looking at her with his crystalline eyes.

Lara tried to suppress a sob, not wanting to be emotional in front of a man she had only met a couple of days ago.

She felt his hand creep into hers across the table, offering comfort and support.

Lara tried to ignore the intoxicating feeling his touch gave her, not wanting to be infatuated on a day of mourning.

"Thank you Kurtis," she said regally, withdrawing her hand and finishing her toast. She tried to ignore the empty feeling she had now that she was not touching Kurtis.

Breakfast finished in a comfortable silence, allowing them to dwell on the events of the past few days.

"We better get started on Von Croy later," Kurtis said, breaking his reverie.

Lara considered the option of working on the day she had laid aside for her beloved Aunt. She could imagine looking at her with her steel eyes and saying to hurry up with her dream; to become an adventurer and find out the true fate of Von Croy. But at the same time she felt that she needed to rest after such a tiring - both physically and emotionally - trip.

"Maybe tomorrow Kurtis. I am not up for it today," Lara said curtly, not allowing her true emotions to be projected in her voice.

"Okay then Lara. I don't mean to rush you," Kurtis said, getting up from the table and placing the plate in the sink.

"What are you going to do today?" he asked her, once he had sat back down.

Lara looked up at him, for she was reading the paper that Kurtis had left.

"Going to the library and just relax. I think I deserve it," she replied, her tone icy.

She stood up and looked over at Kurtis, who was staring at her, fearing that he had offended her.

"You have done nothing wrong Kurtis. I just need some space," Lara said, hoping to clear the worrying thoughts in his head.

He sighed in relief and stood up also, standing close to Lara. He ran his fingers through her loose locks, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"Your hair looks nice," he stated, leaning in closer to smell the floral scent of her shampoo. "And smells nice too." he added, causing Lara to giggle with pleasure.

"Thank you," Lara said, allowing a smile to grace her features. He withdrew his hand and started to walk out of the large kitchen.

"I think I will explore this place; see what kind of stuff Lara Croft keeps in the hidden places."

Lara laughed and followed him out of the kitchen, heading straight to the library.

She only started to think of him again when she saw him out of the window. He was running around and looking in every possible place, causing Lara to smile.

She placed down _Wuthering Heights_, a secret favourite that she read when she was upset. She had read it twice after her Dad had chucked her out.

Lara curled up in front of the fireplace and actually started to laugh and smile, knowing that she didn't need to be upset for the rest of her life.

Especially when she had Kurtis Trent staying in her house.

………………………….

There we go, I checked for any typos, so if there any please forgive me.

The next chapter will be up soon. Until next time, take it easy, it's almost Christmas!

Dan.


	10. Chapter Nine

Ello again!

Sorry it has taken so long to get out, but I have had coursework, school, concerts, websites and so much stuff I needed to do, but now I am relaxing and this is what I do when I chill out.

**Lara-is-my-rolemodel** – Thanks for the review!

**Shauniwritesit**- Thanks a lot!

**kytana**- thanks agtain, but I did not quite understand you review. And you didn't review the other stories but don't feel as if you have to, knowing you read it is good enough!

Enjoy!

**CHAPTER NINE**

Lara bounced down the stairs in her formal manor house. Her tight blue top and black jeans did not really fit in with the décor of the house but she didn't care.

She bounded into the huge kitchen, finding Kurtis Trent sitting at a table drinking a cup of coffee.

His tee-shirt was sweat stained and he was still out of breath, but Lara didn't care.

"Kurtis, I have something to show you."

She grabbed his arm and with surprising strength, dragged him to his feet and up the stairs. She ignored his feeble protests and dragged him into the library.

The brunette used her foot to close the door, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground, taking the dark haired American with her.

Somehow she found him lying on top of her, his crystal-like eyes shining at hers. She could barely breathe but she didn't care.

The moment ended when a pigeon flew into the window, causing it to shatter over them.

She heard Kurtis cry out. She leapt to her feet and went over to the smashed window.

Ignoring the beautiful countryside outside, she proceeded to find the bird. She could tell it was dead. Not wanting to waste valuable time and effort, she threw it out of the window and went back to the injured man lying on the floor.

It was easy to see his injuries, and she knew he was in no mortal danger, but it hurt her to see Kurtis in pain.

She ran out of the oak panelled room and grabbed a bowl of hot water from the bathroom and a flannel. Even if the cuts weren't fatal, they could do serious damage if they got infected.

She found Kurtis in the exact same position she left him, and was almost afraid that he had been knocked out somehow, but she could see his blue eyes staring at her.

She knelt down next to him, careful not to sit on any glass.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, his voice filled with concern.

Lara laughed out loud and dipped the flannel in the steaming water.

"I would be more worried about you," she said, checking he was not lying on any glass. She quickly brushed away any glass nearby and started to work.

There were a few cuts on his face that were bleeding steadily, staining the patterned carpet with patches of crimson.

"I mean it. Are you alright?" he asked again, focusing his attention on her.

Lara stopped what she was doing and looked at him with her deep hazel eyes.

"I'm fine, and thank you for caring," she said, before setting to work again.

She made sure that there was no glass in the cuts on his face, quickly dabbing them all with the boiling water, except a deep one above his right eye. The cut looked nasty but there was no glass in it.

She carefully cleaned it with the flannel, ignoring his screams to best of her ability. She must have hit a nerve because he lashed out and grabbed her arm.

"That hurts!" he yelled, crushing her arm.

"I am cleaning it and you will thank me later. Trust me," she said calmly, ignoring the pain in her arm.

He relinquished his hold after a moment and allowed her to carry on with her work.

It took a further five minutes to clean his wounds and bandage the deep ones.

She left without saying a word and she quickly ran to the pool. En route, she instructed Winston to clean the glass in the library and call a carpenter.

She entered the marble room and shut the doors behind her, even though she knew that Winston would never disturb her. She took off all her clothes and jumped in the pool naked, for she forgot her swimming costume.

Not that she cared anyway.

She rose to the surface and swam numerous lengths, tiring her muscles and causing her body to ache. She had always found swimming relaxing, and she could not think of a better time then now to relax.

Lara dived under the surface again and swam around the deep pool until reaching the bottom. She stayed there for a while, looking up at the glass ceiling above her, distorted by the 10 foot or so of water.

She found her lungs aching and she quickly swam to the top. Her head broke the surface of the water and she gulped the clear air down into her relieved lungs.

Lara realised that a pair of dark blue eyes were watching her closely, watching her every move in the water.

Much too late, she covered herself and glared at Kurtis, who emerged from behind a plant pot.

"Been enjoying the show?" Lara said, sarcasm dripping from every tone.

Kurtis realised he had been caught looking. That much was clear in his smirk.

"I actually came down here to apologise for earlier. It was wrong of me to hurt you when you were helping me."

Lara nodded and smiled at him, touching the dark blue bruise that stained her porcelain skin.

"Close your eyes; I am getting out," Lara instructed, hoping that the bruise on her arm was not that visible to him.

"No," he stated simply, not leaving her with his gaze.

Lara was frustrated with his total confidence in himself but she still clambered out and quickly covered herself with a towel.

"What was it you wanted to show me earlier?" Kurtis asked as he walked over to her. She noted that he had changed into black jeans and a black tee-shirt and mercifully, smelled a lot better than the last time they were this close.

She found his smell intoxicating. She felt herself falling for him even more.

_Let's keep it strictly professional Lara_, she told herself, scolding her weakness.

"My friend has got me the blueprints for the Von Croy Industries building. I am going in there and getting the Iris," she said, confident that was not the answer he had been expecting.

"I am going with you," Kurtis said immediately.

Lara started to splutter that he couldn't but he cut her off by putting a finger to her lips.

"I am going and that is final," he said in his rich American accent.

Lara nodded and felt his finger move away from her lips.

"I'll see you at dinner." Kurtis said, leaving the poolside and leaving Lara alone.

The brunette stood there dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel, wondering why she wanted him to come on her mission as well.

………………….

There we go and update!

Hope you enjoyed it, please review and let me know what you think.

I will update as soon as I can.

Dan.


	11. Chapter Ten

Sorry for the gap in updating, I had to update my other stories that haven't been updated I yonks, but I have a good idea for this chapter so this shouldn't take that long to write.

Enjoy!

**CHAPTER TEN**

Lara pounded the unsuspecting punching bag repeatedly in an attempt to burn off her dinner. She had eaten way too much and now felt as if she had to get rid of the calories before they got to her.

The room was darkening with the setting of the mid September sun. The formal dining room had been given away to a gym: one of the many changes that had occurred in the old house.

Lara wiped a strand of hair from her forehead and allowed herself a few minutes rest. She flipped her sweat drenched braid over her shoulder and willed the pain in her muscles to go away.

She sat there for a few minutes and was startled when strong arms linked around her small waist.

She flipped around and brought her arm across the face of her attacker.

Her hazel eyes were met with a shirtless Kurtis, who was grabbing her around the waist, staring directly at her.

_I will not be intimidated_, she thought to herself. She allowed a small smile to enter her face.

She quickly swung her other arm out and slapped him across the face. She laughed at the shocked impression on his face.

The melodic sound stopped as soon as he grabbed her arm and drew her to him. She found herself pressed up against him, feeling his bare skin against hers. Although her bra-like gym top was covering the essentials, there was a lot of skin showing. Luckily she was wearing hot pants as well, meaning that her movement was maximized.

She kept her arm still and quickly used her leg to flip herself over him and kick him across the shoulder. She wasn't planning to hurt him. Too badly.

Quickly they started to battle out their skills, not aiming to hurt. It was more like a challenge; a contest that neither of them wanted to lose.

Eventually Lara found herself on top of Kurtis on the floor. It was obvious from his expression he was pleased with the circumstances and he flashed her one of his smiles.

Lara rolled her eyes despite her own excitement.

"You presume too much Mr. Trent," she said in a formal tone, before quickly withdrawing a pair of handcuffs from her pocket and attaching the annoying American to a nearby climbing frame.

She laughed at his astonished face.

"How does it feel to be beaten by a Lady, Trent?" she questioned, hoping that he would just continue to stare at her blankly in an expression of shock.

Still laughing, Lara left the room for a well deserved shower.

After twenty minutes she came back into the gym in a new set of clothes, identical to the ones she had on before and found the handcuffs lying in the middle of the floor, no longer holding a cocky American captive.

She cursed out loud and started to search the room for the missing thorn in her side. She was too proud a woman to admit she liked him, so she preferred to think of him as a hindrance rather than a help.

She entered the swimming pool room carefully, grateful for the cool marble that deadened the sound of her footsteps.

Her brown eyes surveyed the room, hoping to find a clue to what had happened to her friend.

She felt an arm encircle her waist for the second time that evening. Her first reaction was to jump out of the way and battle with her opponent. She recognised Kurtis' aftershave however and kept herself rigid, not wanting to relax in his arms.

"This is how you woo a lady?" she asked, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

She heard his soft laughter at the base of her neck and tried not to think about how much she loved the feeling of his breath against her neck.

She felt his hands wander around her torso and waist in a suggestive yet knowing manner.

"I admire your boldness Mr. Trent, but I may have to stop you in a minute. Otherwise you will be withdrawing bloody stumps instead of arms."

Again the intoxicating laugh heightened her senses, though she tried her best to ignore it.

"No, just making sure that you don't have any more of those handcuffs. It will be a pain to break out of them again."

Lara would have laughed, but she was determined to show no weakness around Kurtis.

"There are many other ways to capture a man Kurtis," Lara said, hoping her voice sounded threatening enough.

"You mean in their heart?" Kurtis asked suggestively.

Lara melted inside, but outside she was as icy as winter.

"If you mean ripping their heart out of their chest and placing it in a locked box, then yes. That is a better way," Lara said, trying to stop her pulse from racing.

Kurtis seemed to have nothing left to say, for he released her from his hold and backed away across the white marble floor.

Lara sighed in relief and stood there, calming her nerves.

She felt herself falling, the still water of the pool coming ever closer. It took her a few precious seconds to realise that Kurtis had pushed her. She then grabbed a hold of his arm from behind and sent them both crashing towards the water.

Lara kicked for the surface as soon as she felt her porcelain skin hit the water. She felt Kurtis brush past her, his smooth skin rubbing against her arm.

"Very mature Kurtis," she said in her usual nonchalant tone as soon as she broke free of the water.

Kurtis only smirked and swam closer to her, stopping straight in front of her.

He placed his hand on her face, cupping her chin and leaning it towards him. She knew she should break free. She knew she should not damage their friendship and jeopardize their mission, but every coherent thought left her as Kurtis leaned forward.

"Miss Croft, would you like me to light a fire in your room?"

Lara couldn't help but want to kill Winston, who looked pretty embarrassed about what he had interrupted.

"Yes, thank you Winston," Lara replied, moving away from Kurtis and climbing out of the water.

Lara almost laughed at the disappointment written on Kurtis' face.

"Come to my room and let's dry off a bit."

Lara grabbed his arm without waiting for an answer.

……………….

Lara laughed out loud, taking in the joke Kurtis had just told her.

The twosome was sitting in front of the fire in her room; Kurtis still shirtless and Lara still in a tight gym bra. She felt totally comfortable around him. She had even told him about her father.

She felt Kurtis slip an arm around her and she felt herself being pushed closer to Kurtis' body. She didn't mind: she had realised this was what she wanted a long time ago.

"You presume too much Kurtis," she said, lifting herself from his reach, determined not to act like a helpless woman around him.

She stood to her full height which reached to Kurtis' stubbly chin and looked at him in the eyes.

He encircled her waist and brought her to him, so close that she could feel his excitement - literally.

She looked into his azure eyes and tried to fight the temptation to kiss him there and then.

He leaned forward, obviously going to kiss her. She turned her head away at the last moment, causing him to peck her on the cheek.

"Goodnight Kurtis," she said purposefully, crossing her arms around herself.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, wrapping her around him once more and not moving until his lips brushed against hers.

At first she fought him off, trying to avoid the contact, even though her lips felt like they had electricity surging through them.

She felt her resistance cave away and she kissed him back with urgency.

She was pushed against the wall as Kurtis roamed her body with his hands; hers stayed locked in his hair.

It ended too soon for Lara, who found herself gently placed back down on the floor, panting.

"Goodnight Lara," Kurtis said, before leaving the room.

The firelight carefully disguised the smile crossing her face.

…………………

There lots of sexual tension and Lara acting a little more like herself!

Hope you enjoyed!

Please review!

Goodnight (It is 10:20 over here in England)

Dan.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews, I must really get the plot moving though, so here is the preparation for the mission, which is basically the tower levels in Tomb Raider Chronicles but with Kurtis, its going to take a lot of research to get it realistic so expect a longer waiting time between chapters, sorry about this.

nickless- Thanks for the review! Don't worry, you don't have to like this story or read it just because I like yours! I'm glad to hear you like it though; there is a lot more action coming up as well.

**SilverDragon67**- Glad you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter too.

**nickless**- I'm sorry if I offended you, but you do not need to repay the favour, it doesn't matter if you don't like my story, you don't have to feel obliged to read mine because I like yours. That said, thanks for the review.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Lara awoke feeling apprehensive, for today was the day that she and Kurtis were going to find Von Croy and the Iris.

They didn't leave until it was dark, but preparations had to be made during the day.

Lara slipped out of bed, pushing back the silk red covers and steadying herself on the headboard. She felt a little woozy: no doubt from the worry that was nagging at her, but she knew that her determination would win out in the end.

_At least I have something nice to look at,_ she thought, as Kurtis entered the room, hair still messed up from sleep, still not wearing a shirt.

"I don't remember welcoming you into my room," Lara stated, climbing out of bed and standing next to Kurtis. She avoided his gaze, determined not to mention her weakness last night.

"Well, someone has had a mood swing. I bet it's all this stress; never too good for someone like you," Kurtis replied, in his teasing American accent.

Lara walked over to Kurtis and stood right in front of him, looking him in the eyes.

"You are a lot more unattractive when I'm sober," Lara stated, hinting that she was drunk with infatuation, though she doubted the cocky raven haired man in front of her would understand.

"Luckily for us that isn't often," Kurtis said, hinting that she was an alcoholic.

Lara made an angry sound that only made Kurtis laugh. She physically threw him out, trying not to laugh at his feeble protests and slammed the door behind him.

Without distraction, she quickly dressed in a black tank top and black trousers. With her hair in her trade mark braid, she was preparing to leave the room when a loud noise emerged from downstairs.

She heard Kurtis yell, followed by several gunshots.

She dashed into her wardrobe, where she hid a shotgun, and quickly loaded the lethal weapon.

Without thought, the brunette dashed from the room and hurried down the stairs, being greeted by five armed soldiers.

She raised her shotgun and prepared to fire when Kurtis jumped in front of her, blocking the soldiers.

"What are you doing Kurtis?" she stated simply, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

"They are here for me," he replied, no trace of his usual cockiness in his voice; only concern and anxiety.

She hesitantly lowered her weapon and stared at Kurtis, waiting for an explanation.

All eyes were on Kurtis, who looked hesitant under their relentless gaze, scratching his raven coloured hair in a distracting way. His cerulean eyes fixed upon her brown ones, and she felt a simmering anger burn in between them.

"They are here for me because I am one of them," Kurtis said simply, arms crossed across his black tee shirt.

Lara gaped at him, knowing that she must be showing considerable weakness by doing so.

"I am a part of the Foreign Legion, but I do mercenary work as well. That is why I was in Cambodia," the American stated, looking nervously at Lara.

She struggled to contain her anger; red patches ignited her cheeks, her breathing became ragged and she was trying to stop herself exploding at a man she thought she could trust.

"Get out Kurtis! You betrayed my trust and therefore you have ended our friendship. Get out of my house before I use your brains to redecorate the hall, and take your friends with you. You are no longer welcome here."

Lara felt like crying inside. A man she had started to fall for had betrayed her.

_He kills other people for money_, Lara thought, looking at the American with heavy eyes.

She watched the Legion members leave, who looked back at Lara with a half smile. Only one remained, staring at Kurtis.

"I will be just a moment Gunderson," Kurtis said as he walked over to Lara.

The brunette looked into the eyes of the man who had betrayed her. She felt an indescribable anger burn inside of her, eating away any compassion in her body. She felt capable of anything, even killing. This realization infuriated her, for then she would be no better than the pitiful excuse for a human being in front of her.

Kurtis leaned close into her, as if to kiss her. She withdrew as though she had been scolded with the molten lava that had killed Miael.

She smacked Kurtis around the face, compressing all her anger into her hand. He didn't even move; an action that angered her even more.

"WHY KURTIS? WHY? YOU KILL PEOPLE FOR MONEY AND YOU COME WALTZING OVER TO ME AS IF I SHOULD BE PERFECTLY OKAY WITH IT! YOU HAVE BEEN LYING TO ME, BETRAYING MY TRUST! NOW GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Lara yelled, causing Kurtis to draw back in fear.

She grabbed a vase from the side and threw it at the man in front of her, missing him by inches and shattering it on the wall.

"Goodbye Lara. I hope you don't become a crazy old bitch one day, just like your Aunt."

The brunette stepped back at his harshness, the hate in his expression and the angry tone of his voice. She could hear the Legion members laughing outside of the wood panelled room but she gave no sign of caring.

She watched with tears in her eyes as Kurtis left the hall, slamming the massive front door behind him.

Lara slumped to the floor, refusing to let the tears fall down her cheeks. She sat there in a reverie for several hours, and didn't move until Winston found her after doing some gardening.

……………………

There you go, I know its short, but I wasn't sure where to go next.

Shall I:

1. Continue with the next chapter after the Chronicles thing.

2. Next Chapter set after AOD when Lara and Kurtis meet again.

Or

3. Start a new story with their adventures after AOD, a sequel to this one.

4. Start a new story after the Chronicles bit of Lara and Kurtis finding each other again.

Any suggestions will be helpful, please review!

Dan.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Hi everyone! I was struck by sudden inspiration so I decided to punch out another chapter. Before I explain what has happened, thanks for the following reviews:

**Shanuiwritesit**- Thank you so much, it means a lot to me that you like this story, I thought the chapters previous to this lagged a bit, but hopefully things will get a bit more interesting now!

**nickless**- Thank you for your review and help, I had no idea that you read this story before you became a member, obviously I didn't know but you know what I mean. Thanks for the review!

**SilverDragon67**- To answer your question would be ruining my little plot line in store, but let me just say it wasn't Kurtis who shot anyone. Thank you so much for all your kind thoughts, it means a lot to me, as a repayment, here is the next chapter, lol.

Well, the story goes a little different now; to be precise it goes 15 years into the future from the last chapter. The story so far has been set in 1988, when Lara got disowned, but now we go into the future or present, well to us it's the past but I've probably managed to confuse everyone there, lol. So the year now is 2003, Lara is 33, let me explain that. TR4 came out in 1999 when Lara was 32, and I guessed that AOD happens a year after Lara got rescued so about year 2000-01. It annoys me when people assume the gap between getting the next game out is the gap in the timeline.

So I've rambled on, I've explained, so here is the chapter:

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

She approached the pool of blood feeling weak. Not that the sight of blood fazed Lady Lara Croft at all; it was the strange metallic shape lying in it.

The tired brunette picked up the inanimate object and slid her aching digits in the appropriate holes, remembering when she first saw the object all those years ago.

She felt a tug on her arm and she whirled around, following the urgings of the Chirguai, for that was what the object was called.

Her hazel eyes gazed into the sea of black in front of her; the sea which had held the monster Boaz earlier that day.

Gathering her resolve, the English woman headed into the lair, cursing for the lack of light. She grabbed her bag from her shoulder and rummaged around until she found a flash light.

The small beam did not disperse the darkness completely but it was better than nothing.

Lara focused the beam on the ground, eyes peeled for any sign of what had happened to Kurtis.

A whirlwind of emotions hit her when thinking of the cocky American that she had met fifteen years previously; anger, lust, vengeance and anxiety. She cursed the thoughts out of her mind, refusing to acknowledge any of them.

Eventually, her beam lay upon a body. The light reflected slightly on the liquid that covered the man's torso. With a resigned sigh, Lara stepped forward and used the light to uncover Kurtis Trent from a shroud of darkness.

She gasped at his pale complexion, unfocused eyes and hazardous breathing, though the feature that attracted most of her attention was the gaping hole in his stomach that was steadily leaking a carmine coloured liquid.

Blood.

"Kurtis!" the woman exclaimed, unable to hide her horror of seeing him in this condition.

A mumble was the only reply she got, heightening her worry further.

"It's okay. I will get to a hospital, and feel for grateful for that. I don't exactly owe you any favours, especially after this mess you landed me into," Lara said, retrieving a long ribbon of bandage from her bag.

"Try and sit up for a moment. I will just get the shirt out of the wound and bandage it, then we can get out of here before this place falls down on us," the brown haired woman said, unable to look at Kurtis in the eye as he hesitantly leaned up a few inches. Those inches were enough to lift and rip the part of his ruined shirt that was draping across the wound.

With the flash light carefully placed in between her teeth and aimed at Kurtis, Lara wrapped the bandage around Kurtis' midsection, hoping it would stop the bleeding a little.

"Let's get out of here. I will get you to a hospital. You will have to lean on me." she said, as she packed her bag quickly and helped Kurtis up.

After five minutes of searching, her flashlight found a ladder along a wall.

"Nothing can ever be easy can it?" she said, allowing a smirk to enter her features.

"When it comes to us two Croft, nothing is ever easy," came a reply, containing traces of the American cockiness she was used to.

"Shut up Trent," she muttered, hauling him over to the wall.

"If we get out of this alive I will personally kiss your arse Trent," she exclaimed, as she hauled Kurtis up the ladder.

"Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me," he muttered, before taking advantage of the rest she had allowed before trying to find an escape route.

……………………

There we go!

I know its all short and that but I just wanted to introduce the next part of the story!

PLEASE REVIEW! Lol, please!

Dan.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Well, here I am again with a new chapter to boot. I have finished my English coursework and to celebrate I thought another chapter was in order, lol.

Thanks for the reviews:

**godavari**- thanks for all of your reviews! I'm glad you like the story, and there was no need to add this to your favourites blushes lol.

**nickless**- thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter!

**SilverDragon67**- Thank you for the review, though the story was always set in 1988, I said so in the second or first chapter I believe. Well, I wouldn't say there are masses of new chapters, yet, lol.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The brunette continued to haul the cocky American towards a set of double doors that led out to the harsh cold of Prague.

"Lose some weight along with the blood next time Trent," she muttered, as she kicked open the doors.

He didn't answer, making Lara even more concerned for her accomplice's health.

Her dark eyes quickly found the beat up red car from which the reporter brought to her the Strahov. She made a beeline towards it.

Luckily the door was unlocked, allowing Lara to stash Kurtis - lying down - in the back seat.

The brunette herself dashed towards the bonnet of the car and started to hot wire it, knowing that the keys wouldn't be in the car.

After a few minutes the tired out English woman managed to make the engine run, causing a startling amount of noise in the otherwise tranquil street.

Lara stepped into the car and proceeded to step on the gas, without regard for a seatbelt.

She drove around the dark streets, hoping to find any sign of a hospital or anywhere that Kurtis could get medical attention.

She did not want to admit that she was worried about him, but as the brunette eyed his ragged breathing through the mirror she knew that she would be distressed if he died.

After about ten minutes of searching around the dismal streets of Prague Lara found the hospital. Although it looked rather dingy from the outside, she was glad of any medical attention that Kurtis could get.

She parked the beat up old car right in front of the entrance, not caring if it got towed or not, as it wasn't even hers.

A nurse came out of the brightly lit hospital to meet Lara as she struggled to get Kurtis from the back seat.

The blonde haired woman said something in a language that Lara didn't understand, though with the pointing at a sign Lara got the general impression that she was being moaned at for parking there.

Lara glared at the woman and eventually pulled Kurtis out of the now bloodstained backseat.

The nurse blanched at the sign of the blood, causing Lara to frown. _What kind of nurse can't deal with blood?_ she thought, amazed why a nurse would be scared of blood.

After a few moments a few doctors rushed out, all saying something in the natural lingo around here.

"I don't understand you," Lara said slowly, pointing at an ear.

They seemed to get the message as they got to work putting Kurtis on a stretcher. Slowly, the American was wheeled into the hospital. Lara walked in after him, careful to make sure that all of her weapons were concealed.

She was pointed into a small waiting room with white painted walls and fake pot plants in plastic pots. Overall, she was rather surprised at the general cleanliness and modern look of the hospital; she assumed that any hospital in this city would be as dismal as the rest of the buildings.

She sank into a grey chair, relieved to be able to sit and relax slightly. Within moments she was asleep, unaware of her surroundings.

Lara did not know for how long she slept, but when she awoke sunlight was streaming through the blinds in the waiting area, giving the impression that she had been asleep for several hours.

She stood up hesitantly, trying to ignore the various protests her muscles made.

_I need to get a real room, with a bed_, she thought, looking around for a toilet.

After relieving herself, she went straight to the front desk, where surprisingly very few people crowded around.

The brunette approached the desk, not knowing what to say. She was unsure if anyone spoke a word of English in the hospital.

"English," she said clearly, pointing at herself. The raven haired assistant stared at her blankly for a few seconds before leaving the computer she studied.

She returned a few minutes later with a tall, lanky woman of Chinese origin. She was obviously very young, about 18, with long dark hair pulled up into a pony tail high on her head.

"Hello, I am Faith Lu. Welcome to Prague City hospital," the Chinese woman said, shaking Lara's hand.

Lara was experiencing difficulty speaking, trying to withhold tears when she realised that there was someone she could communicate with.

"Lady Lara Croft," she announced, hoping her status would help get information quickly.

"A Lady? We don't get many of them around here," Faith observed, flipping through a sheath of papers she was holding.

"Can you help me locate my…err… boyfriend? He had a stab wound to the stomach. I brought him here last night and fell asleep in the waiting room."

Lara tried to hide her nervousness of calling Kurtis her boyfriend, but it seemed a believable lie, for Faith asked no questions.

"Tall, dark and handsome with dark hair?" Faith enquired, looking at Lara in the eye.

"That's the one. Can you tell me about his condition?" Lara asked, hoping she would get answers quickly.

"He underwent surgery immediately to the stomach. Luckily, very luckily, the weapon did not hit any vital organs or nerves, so he was unharmed in that sense. Some major tissue damage that required operating but mostly a stitch up job."

Lara sighed in relief, knowing that Kurtis would survive.

"Can I see him?" she asked the young woman.

"Yes, I will take you to his ward," Faith answered.

The walk through the hospital was done in silence, for both parties had had a long night.

"How come you're English and work in a hospital over here?" Lara asked, trying to break the tension that had formed between them. She had recognised the cockney accent earlier.

"Well, my mother was English and my father Chinese. That's why I have a strange name. I am studying to become a doctor over here and am training up while working at the main hospital. It may not look it, but Prague is quite a good place to study medical science," Faith said, happily chatting to Lara about her private life.

_She is a gossip, and is probably relieved that she has someone English to talk to_, she thought, as they reached a closed off ward.

"Here you are Lady Croft. I will be back to collect you in twenty minutes."

Lara stopped the woman from walking down a plain corridor that led to the children's ward. She laid a hand on the other woman's arm.

"Thank you," Lara said simply, hoping that Faith understood her sincerity.

The younger woman smiled and left.

Lara prepared to enter the room, to face the man she had been avoiding like the Black Death until less than desirable circumstances threw them together…

……………..

There you all go, don't worry, Lara and Kurtis meet in the next chapter, so, I will have to start writing it, lol.

Please review, please?

Lol. Also the thing about Prague being good for medical science I made up, it could be but I don't know.

Dan.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Hello everyone! Time for another update!

Thanks for the reviews:

**kytana**- nice to see you back, yes there was a time jump; it was all explained at the Authors note at the top.

**Shauniwritesit**- Ah, telling you if your hunch is correct would be just too easy, you will have to read the chapter to find out. Thanks for the review.

Right, let's get started.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Lara looked around the plain room. All the walls were the usual sterile white and the floor was tiled for hygiene. There were a few items of furniture all made of white plastic and a pot plant on a windowsill that looked out onto the snowy city of Prague.

However, Lara's attention was focused on the large metal framed bed; especially the man lying in it.

Kurtis looked better than he had done for a while. He no longer looked tired, but he had a general look of weakness that had come from blood loss.

"Well, look who's all washed up. I must say this is one of the highlights of my day, seeing you all weak and non-threatening. It makes a rather nice change," Lara said, refusing to look at Kurtis in the eye.

"Well Lara, I'm glad you are here to talk with me. Such a happy conversation we are going to have," the American said, the weakness not dispersing his cockiness.

"Look, I am here to talk business. Nothing else. Let's keep our estranged personal lives out of the conversation," the brunette said, taking a seat in a chair beside the bed.

"No Lara, I want to talk about our personal lives, or the lack thereof," Kurtis replied, fixing his cerulean gaze on her.

"Charming man as always Kurtis. I may have fallen for your charms once before, but hey; I learn from my mistakes," she replied, propping her feet up on the end of his bed.

"I am not an assassin anymore. I haven't been since the day at your house, that is what I was telling Gunderson just before you came downstairs with the shotgun. That's why he fired some rounds; trying to scare me back into joining."

Lara looked sceptically at Kurtis, wanting to believe him.

"Kurtis, do you think I am some kind of ape?" Lara said, hoping to patronize the wounded American.

"Well, the resemblance is striking now that you mention it…"

Lara cut Kurtis off with a deserved slap.

"I was pointing out that only an ape would think of that kind of bull and expect me to believe it," Lara said coldly.

"Takes an ape to know an ape," Kurtis said, obviously finding satisfaction in Lara's frustration.

"Look, when I agreed to work with you I didn't expect to be treated like a primate. So listen Trent; I did you a favour, don't expect me to be all loving and kind towards you now. Things have changed."

Lara stood up after her little speech and opened the window, hoping to get some fresh air into the room.

"You mean _you_ have changed," Kurtis said, propping himself back on the pillows.

Lara didn't answer. She concentrated on the cool breeze blowing the hair from her face.

"Eckhardt is dead. Karel turned out to be the true villain and he is also a Nephilim. Life is pretty crap for the good guys at the moment," Lara said, carefully adding the dilemma in which she faced.

Kurtis sat silently, not knowing what to say. Lara assumed he was trying to digest the information she had just shared.

"Eckhardt is dead?" Kurtis asked, in a strange emotional voice that did not suit him.

"Yes, I wish I could say the pleasure was all mine, but our good friend Karel decided to kill him for me, and then started to blab about his great ideas on the rebirth of the Nephilim race. Why do the bad guys always spill their evil plot before they go bye bye?" Lara asked, trying to add a bit of humour to the situation.

"We will worry about Karel later," Kurtis said, making no sense to Lara.

"Kurtis, Karel is dead," Lara said slowly, as if she was talking to a child.

"You think it's that easy to kill a Nephilim? I wouldn't be surprised if he came through the door right now," Kurtis said, causing them both to stare at the door for a couple of minutes.

"Right, well in that case we have to move. We can't stay in the same place all the time. We'll be too easy to track," Lara said, once she was sure that Karel was not going to come into the small ward.

"Well, I have many stitches in my stomach and I am quite comfortable. I wouldn't want to ruin it all now would I?"

Lara ignored his sarcasm and tried to think of a plan.

"Right, how long until the stitches can come out?" Lara asked, hoping it was not too long.

"About a week if I use my powers to help the healing process along," Kurtis said, smiling at Lara.

"Well do that then. I will get a hotel and keep you posted about any news of Karel. I also have the Monstrum thing to sort out so this is kind of a good thing."

Lara thought the plan was the easiest way to make both parties happy.

"Fine Croft, that's the plan," Kurtis said.

"What are your measurements?" Lara asked, allowing a small smile to grace her features.

Kurtis looked confused and shocked at the question.

"Well, unless you want to wear that hospital thing for the next month or so I would tell me your measurements," Lara said, trying to keep herself from laughing.

Kurtis reluctantly complied and laid back down to rest.

Lara nodded at the American and prepared herself to leave.

"Oh Lara, I do believe you would kiss my ass if we survived this," Kurtis said, as she was halfway through the door.

Lara laughed a little and walked back over to him.

Allowing herself to have a little sense of humour, she kissed Kurtis briefly on the lips.

"Hey, that's not my ass," Kurtis said, once she started towards the door again.

"With all the crap that comes out of it how could it not be?" Lara said, leaving Kurtis on his own.

Lara was still smiling as she left the hospital to find a hotel.

Lara noticed the red car had been towed, so she had to walk around the streets of Prague to find a hotel.

It didn't take long before Lara found a cheap but modest hotel about fifteen minutes away from the hospital. She quickly ordered a room and promptly entered it.

The room itself was a tad on the dreary side, with plain white walls and a cream carpet, but everything was spotless and tastefully decorated.

The tired out ex-adventurer had a well deserved shower, throwing away the clothes she had been wearing and promptly did all the hygiene rituals that every decent woman followed.

After ordering pizza, Lara sat on the bed reflecting the events of the last few days.

_When was the last time I slept in a bed?_ she questioned herself as she finished her pizza, brushing away the crumbs from her black tank top.

_Well, I am in one now; better make the most of it._

Lara quickly turned out the lights and fell into a peaceful doze, unaware that not that far away plans were commencing to capture herself and Kurtis.

……………………..

There we go, hope you all enjoyed it, more coming soon.

Please review!

Dan.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Hello everyone! I am really sorry for the delay between chapters, but I have been really busy lately so, here I am!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thanks for the reviews:

**Angel K.D**. – Thank you so much! I am glad you can visualise the settings and stuff, I always get worried if people can't understand what I write. I hated trying to defeat Boaz on AOD, took me ages.

I am glad you understood my back story; I was surprised to see it hadn't really been done before, so I decided to do it myself!

**kytana**- yes, the plot bunnies have been mating, lol. Thanks for the review.

**SilverDragon67**- Hmm, I'm not saying, hope you enjoy this chapter, thanks for the review!

**nickless**- thanks for the review!

**Shauniwritesit**- Thanks for the review! You may be right; you may be wrong, lol.

**godavri**- Lol, okay, you do that, but I don't think Lara will ever, or will she? Lol, thanks for the review.

Right, on with the story!

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Lara awoke to the blinding sunlight that had fallen through a gap in the cheap curtains.

It had been a week since her and Kurtis' last encounter in the ward, which meant he should be able to get out today.

_I have probably had more sleep in this past week then I have had in about a month_, she thought, slightly amused.

She had to endure a whole day at the police station, telling the only English speaking policeman what had happened in the Strahov, and how she was innocent of all crimes. It took a painfully long time to find someone who spoke English, testing Lara's nerves to the limit.

_Last time I am ever going to be framed for a murder_, she decided good-naturedly, as she rose from the bed to get dressed.

The brunette dressed in tight black jeans, a white tank top and a black jean jacket.

_It is amazing how my credit card survived all this_, she thought as she looked back on her shopping spree two days ago.

Lara quickly ate some left over Chinese for breakfast and grabbed a carrier bag from the corner of the room. Inside were Kurtis' clothes.

Picking up the remainder of her stuff and slinging her bag over her shoulders, Lara vacated the hotel room, smiling at the receptionist as she handed in the keys.

The brunette quickly walked to the hospital, not lingering on the dreary, snowy streets.

She tugged her jacket around her, hoping to find some warmth. The day was very clear and bright but nastily cold. Lara watched as the hospital loomed into view ahead of her.

_Better get this over with_, she thought miserably.

She stepped into the cool hospital, smiling at the receptionist who now knew Lara very well, due to her frequent visits.

Lara proceeded down the corridors, taking the route she knew well to Kurtis' room.

"Trent?" Lara questioned as she walked into the room.

Instead of seeing Kurtis relaxing, ready to carry on with the mission, she saw Faith and Kurtis at it like rabbits.

"Oh my, I am sorry to interrupt," she said, disgusted as the couple tried to untangle themselves.

Lara waited outside the small room, sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair. She waited for about five minutes, nodding at a dishevelled looking Faith as she exited the room.

"Lara?" an American voice asked.

"Trent, I do not want to know what went on in that room. Here are your clothes, get dressed and get your perverted arse out here," she said, allowing her anger to show in her voice.

She opened the door slightly and threw in the bag of clothes.

Anger and frustration filled her body, along with jealousy. She liked to think she was jealous of Kurtis' carelessness rather than Faith.

After five minutes Kurtis emerged from the small room, dressed in black combats, a black tee shirt and a black jean jacket. Lara cursed herself for being nice in her selection of clothes, now wishing she had chosen bright green flares and a fishnet top instead.

"Let's go lover boy," Lara muttered, refusing to acknowledge Kurtis further.

She waited patiently at the front desk as Kurtis signed the required papers for his release.

"Where are we going?" Lara asked, as they stepped out of the hospital into the frosty streets of Prague.

"Egypt."

The brunette stopped in the middle of the pavement, staring at Kurtis as though he was insane. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her mind fully unable to comprehend the thought of going back to Egypt.

"Why Egypt? It is nothing but pyramids and sand." Lara said, regaining her composure quickly, deciding to ignore the look Kurtis was giving her.

"There is a Lux Veritatis stronghold in Egypt. One where they hold a Periapt Shard."

Kurtis was talking in a slow, patronising way. His azure eyes seemed to lock onto hers without blinking.

"There is another set?" Lara said, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

_Why didn't Werner mention them?_ she thought to herself, slightly worried at the turn of events.

"Yes there is. Don't be offended that you didn't know. I am, after all, more informed than you."

Lara scoffed at Kurtis' phrase and kept on walking.

The two walked in silence, before Kurtis started dragging her into a courtyard she remembered very well.

"Gotta pick up my bike. Did you think we would be walking to Egypt?" Kurtis said, smirking.

Lara paled at the thought of Egypt. A dark expression covered her features as she remembered Werner leaving her in the tomb.

Kurtis gave her another puzzled look before leaving her in the middle of the courtyard.

She slowly walked over to the frozen fountain in the middle and sat down on the cold stone. She allowed her mind to wander, resulting in thinking about Kurtis and Egypt.

"Why does God punish me?" she thought to herself, though no one answered her question.

She waited for about ten minutes, staring at the frozen ice, until she heard the unmistakeable sound of a motorbike arriving.

Sighing, she stood up, allowing the icy wind to hit her front.

"Come on Croft. We haven't got all day," he said jovially as Lara slid onto the back of motorbike.

"We aren't going to get anywhere on this pile of rusting crap. How about we take a train or something?" Lara suggested, eyeing the vehicle in distaste.

"Too detectable. We have to go unnoticed by Karel."

She scowled at the name, wondering if she was in the presence of the aforementioned Nephilim right now.

"You know Karel took on your appearance," she said suddenly, wanting to get it off her chest.

Kurtis swivelled around on the bike, so he could look into her eyes.

"Lara, why didn't you tell me this before? I thought you were holding a grudge from all those years ago," he said in a soft voice.

"I was and I still am," retorted Lara, smiling slightly at his shocked face.

"Well, when we meet Karel to kill him, you will then know it's definitely me, not him," Kurtis said, trying to put humour into the situation.

Lara allowed a smile to enlighten her face, before wrapping her arms around Kurtis' waist.

"Move then. I am not covering myself with germs for no reason," Lara teased, as Kurtis laughed and revved up the motorbike.

The two managed to reach the road before a loud explosion entered their eardrums.

The bike swerved with the force of the explosion, causing the bike to turn and face the mass of rubble and flames that was once the hospital.

"We have to go back there," Lara said, thinking of all the innocent people that could be saved.

"NO!" Kurtis yelled, as he quickly turned the motorbike around and sped along the various roads.

They did not speak again until they reached the motorway.

"Nice to know you thought so much of Faith," Lara spat, hoping to anger the cocky American.

The American in question slammed the brakes down in the middle of the deserted highway. He jumped off the motorbike, Lara following suit.

"Those explosives were meant for us Lara. They know where we are, and we have to get moving."

Kurtis talked in a forced calm that led Lara to think that Kurtis was beyond angry at her.

"At the expense of others? You make me sick Trent. Let's get this thing over with so I can carry on hating you in peace."

Lara pushed past him, back to the deserted motorbike that lay in the middle of the icy road.

She felt a hand grab her elbow, forcing her back.

Lara found herself within the clutches of Kurtis. His blue eyes staring at her, showing such emotional force it scared her.

"That could have been us in the explosion. Let's just count our blessings and get out of here."

Lara couldn't help but think he was going to say something different.

Reluctantly, she climbed back onto the motorbike that Kurtis was revving and, even more reluctantly, encircled her arms around his waist.

The twosome sped off towards the horizon, hoping to elude whatever forces were trying to kill them.

…………………………

There we go!

Again, I am so sorry for the long delay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will try and get another one out soon.

Please review!

Dan.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Hey everyone!

I'm back with quite a long this chapter this time, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for the reviews:

**Kytana**- One assumes that the plot bunnies will reproduce so they don't die out. Survival of the Fittest. LOL. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**N.F.I**- Thanks for the review, though please understand, its not that I ignore your stories, its I am really busy (as the time it takes for me to update should tell you).

**godavri**- Lol, bad bunnies indeed. Thanks for the review.

There is a major flash back in this story, I haven't wrote one since Chapter Four I believe so I feel its time to do one again. It is the large section in Italics by the way.

Also, I am currently searching for a beta reader for this story. If you are interested in the task of going through all the chapters and telling me of my careless mistakes, I will be eternally grateful. I really don't know how I could repay someone for doing this, maybe I could be a beta reader for them or something? Please contact me if you are interested.

On with the story:

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The explosion was an awakening for the travelling twosome: an indication that the enemy was not as far behind as they wanted to think.

Lara smirked in amusement as Kurtis tried to light a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

The pair sat on a dry road in the middle of Egypt. The sand blew into Lara's eyes and she hugged her legs close together because of the piercing cold.

"We need to get to a hotel and fast," she said to Kurtis, who had finally managed to get a warming fire started.

Kurtis moved closer to Lara, causing her to squirm in discomfort. She hated to admit it, but she liked his company.

"No, we can't. Karel will have all his minions covering every hotel in the country no doubt. It won't be safe."

Lara snorted at his reply, and started to fiddle with the end of her braid, something she did when she was bored and nervous; in this case, both.

_So what? We are supposed to stay out all night freezing? Great idea_, she thought sarcastically, glaring at the cocky American.

"I will stay up for half the night, you for the second half," Kurtis said. "You must keep the fire going," he added, pointing at the bag of kindling they had bought earlier in the day.

Lara nodded and slid closer to the fire. She quickly took her bag off and used it as a pillow.

_Definitely not the most comfortable bed I have had to sleep in_, she thought to herself as she let the weariness take over her.

She heard Kurtis sigh before she fell into unconsciousness, and immediately wondered what was wrong. Deciding it could wait until morning, she let the growing darkness wash over her.

……………….

"Wake up Lara. Some of us need rest too."

Lara groggily opened her eyes and found Kurtis shaking her gently from her slumber.

She noted that the sky was still dark, and she assumed it was still early in the morning.

The brunette sat up, raising a small hand to rub the crick in her neck from sleeping awkwardly.

"Lara, quick! Someone is coming," Kurtis' voice said urgently. Lara felt the last cobwebs blow away in her mind and she was fully alert.

"Kurtis, quickly! Hide the bike somewhere!"

He looked at her skeptically before grabbing the motorbike and rolling it down a nearby ridge in the everlasting sand.

Lara quickly used some of their water to douse the fire, and, in doing so, was left to find her way with only the stars as guidance.

She felt a hand grab her arm and pull her down a sand dune.

"Don't say a word. Don't even breathe," Kurtis whispered as he led her to a small alcove the sand had conveniently made.

She noticed that the motorbike was stashed across the floor, making the twosome awfully uncomfortable as they squeezed into the only gap the motorbike had left for them.

They both heard the sound of a truck approaching, causing their heart beats to quicken. The unmistakable sound of a car door opening followed, and then a hushed conversation in a foreign language.

The pair waited with bated breath for the car to start up again and leave.

Luckily, they only waited a few minutes longer. The people obviously thought that they were long gone.

"I am guessing that was no coincidence. Karel knows we are in Egypt, and he is looking for us."

Kurtis nodded at Lara's words, clearing his throat.

"Well, we had better move then. We need to get to the temple fairly soon," Kurtis said.

Lara nodded, and then realised he had his arms wrapped tightly around her petite waist as the two hugged against the wall. She felt his warmth transfer through the thick fabric of her tank top.

She started to struggle, hoping to get out of his intoxicating grip, but Kurtis only held on tighter. The brunette tried for a few more minutes to break free of his hold.

"How can someone with no sleep and no brain cells keep me captive for so long?" Lara said in a sarcastic tone, emitting a laugh from the cocky man who held her. "Rest assured, I will get my revenge after we have killed Karel."

Kurtis stopped laughing and proceeded to bury his face in the nape of her neck.

"Tell me what happened in Egypt. I need to know you are not going to freeze at any time," Kurtis said, though Lara could tell that was not his reason for his wanting to know.

"Will you let me go afterwards?" she asked irritably, having given up all hope of being released.

"Of course," he murmured into her ear.

"Well, it all started with an amulet: the Amulet of Horus…"

_Lara coughed as rock fell all around her, enclosing her in a tangible sense of doom and death._

_She covered her head with her arms, hoping to protect herself from the falling rock. The brunette felt the sharp shards of rock slice into her arms as if they were made of butter. A whimper escaped her lips as she was forced to the ground by a particularly large rock. _

_Contemplating her doom, Lara shifted slightly so she was facing the falling ceiling, hoping to end her life more quickly than with long suffering._

_A part of her was telling her this was the risk you took when being a Tomb Raider. She had always envisioned a nasty end to her life, but somehow she imagined being torn to shreds by some evil being rather than being encased alive._

_Kurtis. She thought of Kurtis. Immediately angry with herself to have her last thoughts dwell on him she closed her eyes, hoping to force the images of their time together out of her mind._

_Yet she couldn't help it. Her last thought before being consumed by the darkness surrounding her was the utter clearness and mystical character clear in his deep cerulean eyes._

She paused as she finished her story, falling limply back into Kurtis' hold, for she had never told anyone about her past in Egypt. The claustrophobic feeling, the dust settling into her lungs, her inability to go far…

Kurtis held onto her more tightly, allowing Lara to feel content in his warmth.

"I do believe you are breaking your promise Mr. Trent," she said calmly, trying not to show the nervousness she felt.

"Your last thought was of me?" he asked, emotion clear in his voice; an unusual change from his usual sarcasm.

Lara nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Lara."

A touch on her shoulder accentuated the words.

The hand slid down her bare arm, causing the flesh to tingle in anticipation. It continued on its path down to her slender fingers, gripping them slightly before moving on.

Lara neglected to pursue the sudden weakness in Kurtis' hold.

She was turned around slowly, to be met with Kurtis' deep eyes. The eyes she thought about in her moment of doom.

He leaned forward, by now so close that the ends of his dark bangs fell across her forehead.

He was going to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her.

The thought permeated Lara's mind, causing her to jerk back abruptly.

"Let's get moving," Lara said, picking up the bike herself. "I will drive. You had no sleep."

Kurtis nodded, hiding his disappointment. Lara gave him a smile, showing her thanks for his support before heaving a toned leg over the side of the dusty bike.

"Let's get moving," the American said as he slid his arm around her waist.

The two moved off into the sunrise, and another hot Egyptian day.

………………..

Yeah I know, this chapter doesn't really help the plot as such, but I need to bring out the romance a bit more, cause this a romance story as well as an action adventure.

Well, thank you for the reading.

I've decided that asking for reviews is kind of rude really, so I will sit here and stare expectantly at my inbox instead, lol.

Dan.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Hello everyone!

Sorry about the long delay, but my exams are finally upon me. Groans. Still, it has been too long, so please accept my apologies and enjoy this longer than usual chapter.

Oh, and has everyone seen the trailer for the new Tomb Raider? It's called Tomb Raider Legend, it goes back to the puzzle solving and artefact finding Tomb Raider we all know and love, it looks really good, you can see it on the main site.

Thanks for the reviews:

**SilverDragon67**- I'm glad you liked it, the last chapter was a bit to smutty in my opinion, but there is a lot more action in this one.

**N.F.I**- Thanks. Though I disagree with the idle comment, I don't think you should give a review to receive one in return, because maybe the author of that story does not like a particular genre or something. Anyway, I like your story anyways, and I do review it so YAY! Lol.

**kytana**- very valid point, I changed that bit! Thanks a lot!

**godavri**- Thank you! I think I am getting slightly OOC recently, I must change that!

**Mystique1515**- Thank you for both your reviews. I think longer chapters are needed to! Let's create a petition to my muse.

**Arakanga**- Thank you, here is your update!

**Haley Upton**- I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review.

Onwards and upwards as they say:

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

"Sand, sand and more sand. How utterly captivating," Kurtis moaned in a sarcastic voice.

Annoyed, Lara stepped on the accelerator harder, ignoring the ever present feel of Kurtis pressed against her.

The twosome had travelled for about six hours non stop, hoping to reach the temple before Karel did. They both realised that Karel and his henchmen were following them. They only hoped they did not know their destination.

The temple was carefully hidden in the dreary desert, strategically placed away from all settlements.

Kurtis seemed to be more wary of her now, obviously hoping not to provoke her fear in Egypt.

"When do we get there? No offence Trent, but having you pressed against me for the whole journey is not exactly on the top of my most wanted list."

Kurtis laughed at her and pressed himself closer to her.

"Why Mr. Trent, is that a gun or are you happy to see me?" Lara smirked, hoping to embarrass the American.

That was always the way with Lara. She would get closer to someone and then immediately try to push them as far away as possible. However Kurtis kept on coming back: an admirable trait in her eyes.

She carried on testing how long he could put up with her regardless.

"I'm afraid it's just the hot weather. No need to get excited, dear," a lazy American drawl answered back, "That, and I really need a piss," he added.

Lara was pretty sure a smirk was on his face right now, but she was not stupid enough to turn around and check.

"So where exactly are we going?" Kurtis asked, for the first time noticing that Lara was not following the directions he had given her.

"We are going to see an old friend who can help us - weapons wise that is. You never do know what's lurking in Egyptian tombs, but some dead person usually attacks you," Lara said dryly, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Dead people attacking? Well, that's a first for me, though remember this is a Lux Veritatis stronghold not an Egyptian tomb. There are no dead people in there. Hopefully."

Lara ignored his last comment, and turned right abruptly onto a sandy driveway. A smooth white house come into view; its windows all boarded up and its door barricaded.

"Wow, what a wonderful place, Lara. Looks like we are going to get a lot of help from here," Kurtis said sarcastically, climbing off the bike as she killed the engine.

"I don't understand…" she said, also dismounting.

This was the house of Jean-Yves, the man who had guided her all those years ago, and most recently on her last visit to Egypt.

"This is not supposed to be like this. My mentor - well, one time mentor - Jean-Yves lives here," Lara said to Kurtis, who was standing to her left, looking up at the chipped white paint on the walls.

"I hate to say it, but I don't think your friend has been here for a long time. When were you last in Egypt?" Kurtis asked, turning to look at her.

"1999," she whispered, walking up to the door. The wooden barricade was of poor quality and obviously erected in haste.

"Looks fairly old," Kurtis commented, standing next to her.

Without answering, Lara stepped back and smashed the barricade with a powerful kick.

Kurtis leapt back in shock, causing Lara to laugh.

"Why, Mr. Trent, whatever is the matter? Surely that didn't scare you."

Kurtis gave her an evil look as she smiled sweetly, before turning back to the entrance they had created.

The hallway was covered in a layer of dust; the red walls turning grey, and the white painted staircase lost amongst the grey particles.

Lara bent to the ground, examining a footprint that the dust was only starting to cover up.

"Looks like someone was here recently."

Kurtis walked into the house, coughing.

"You would be great in a stealth situation, wouldn't you Kurtis?" Lara noted, standing up to full height.

"And don't you forget it," he said, once the coughing fit had subsided.

The two made their way down a narrow corridor to the living area. All of the furniture was covered with dust sheets, and a large one covered a section of the floor.

Lara walked over to the opposite side of the room, pulling down a dust sheet she found on the wall there.

The bookcase was there as she remembered, holding all of the volumes that Jean-Yves loved so much.

"He didn't move out," Lara said, turning around to see Kurtis just behind her, scanning the books with his blue eyes.

"And why do you think that?" Kurtis said, holding his gaze with Lara's briefly.

"Because he spent most of his life collecting those books. He would not leave without them."

Kurtis nodded, brushing away dust from a volume that caught his interest.

"And how do you know that he didn't have to leave in a hurry? What if Karel decided to visit?"

Lara nodded, taking in all the possibilities, but a feeling in her stomach told her that something was very out of place.

"Kurtis, go check out the rest of the rooms. I think there is something out of place here," Lara instructed, giving a pained smile to her friend and colleague.

_Wait, did I just call him my friend?_ she thought, surprised by her own thinking. _Oh Croft, you are growing soft in your old age. That, or I like him._

Shaking away her thoughts, Lara scanned the room with her hazel eyes, looking for something out of place.

It was not long before the dust sheet on the floor caught her attention.

With a sense of foreboding, she crouched down and with one swift motion-

"KURTIS!" Lara yelled, horrified at the sight before her.

Pounding footsteps could be heard, taking the stairs two at a time. The footsteps got louder until an out-of-breath Kurtis entered the room.

Kurtis saw her on the floor, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

A look of confusion entered his face, before she pointed down at the floor, where a large deep red stain was dried onto the carpet.

"Oh no," Kurtis said, looking away from the stain.

Lara wiped furiously at her eyes, deciding she had shown too much emotion in front of Kurtis recently.

"Poor Jean-Yves. When I find the person who did this…" Lara let her sentence trail off, anger flowing through her.

"No, that's not what I meant… LOOK OUT!" Kurtis yelled, diving towards her.

Lara didn't have a chance to react as the much larger body of Kurtis came crashing on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

The bullets easily tore through the walls, bouncing around the room, destroying all the furniture that was left.

They didn't move until the last bullet was fired. The dust had blown up all around them, blocking any view of their attackers.

"Looks like someone doesn't want us to be here," Kurtis whispered at her.

"I would say that was a correct assumption, Mr. Trent," a cold voice answered, one that originated from the doorway.

"Karel," Lara said, allowing her anger to show through her voice.

"Why Miss Croft, I almost didn't see you there. Are you aware you have an ape lying on top of you?"

The blonde man smirked, gazing at Lara with his blue eyes; so cold. Unlike Kurtis' they didn't sparkle; they just showed what an empty being he was.

"Hmm, you seem to forget that this ape is the key to getting into the temple, which is probably why you are here anyway," Kurtis added, climbing off of Lara slowly, standing to his feet.

Karel glared at him, before instructing the hired goons to take their weapons.

"Ah, I am afraid I am rather attached to my gun, boys," Lara intoned, as three men in black fatigues walked towards her.

"I would much rather strip you of _your_ weapons," Lara added, before quickly kicking the nearest man in the groin.

Kurtis grabbed his Boran X and repeatedly fired at the wall, causing a hole to appear, just large enough for them to squeeze through.

In the three seconds it took for this to happen, all hell broke loose.

Bullets were flying everywhere, causing Lara to duck behind a covered sofa for protection.

She quickly and efficiently killed the men closest to her, hoping that they were too busy with Kurtis' flying Chirugai to notice her behind the sofa.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back with it.

"Now, now Miss Croft. I cannot let you kill all of my men. Someone needs to be around to kill you after all this is done."

Glaring at Karel, Lara stepped on his foot, causing him to let his grip loosen enough for her to yank herself out of his grasp.

"What, afraid to do the dirty work yourself?" she replied, before repeatedly firing at Karel's head.

She pumped all the rounds that were in her gun straight into the Nephilim's brain, though she knew this wouldn't kill him.

Using this distraction, Lara dived through the hole in the wall that Kurtis had created, narrowly missing being decapitated by his weapon of choice along the way.

She found herself in Jean's garage, where a dusty old jeep stood, half covered by yet another dust sheet.

"I swear, if I see one of these sheets again..." she muttered, pulling it from the green car.

Lara opened the beaten hood of the car, hoping that hot wiring it wouldn't take too long. She had been fiddling around inside the car for a couple of minutes before Kurtis came parading in, wiping flecks of blood from his face.

"Lara, get this car started: I'm driving." he ordered, climbing into the driver's side.

Mumbling in protest, she managed to get the jeep to roar to life, and quickly hopped into the passenger's side.

"Wait, Kurtis, we haven't opened the garage door!" she protested as he floored the acceleration, causing them to lurch forward.

Ignoring her comment, he carried on full pelt to the rusty door, crashing through it.

"You are insane," she muttered, pulling clumps of plaster from her hair.

"Indeed I am, Miss Croft," Kurtis answered, grinning as he ran over an unfortunate henchman of Karel's.

"I can't believe he killed Jean-Yves," Lara said, allowing her sadness to enter her calm voice.

Lara stared out into the desert, watching the beautiful Egyptian sunset.

"Take us into a town, so we can get into disguise and get a new vehicle. Are you positive they don't know where the temple is?" Lara asked, looking over at Kurtis.

"Positive, and as you wish, milady," he replied, his trademark smirk back in place.

"Thank you, milord," Lara joked, laughing a little.

"And to what do I owe the great honour to see you smile? You look beautiful when you smile, did you know that?" Kurtis questioned, glancing over at her while still driving full speed across the desert.

She blushed slightly, turning to look at the window. The warm sun rays felt pleasant on her pale skin.

"Thank you," she answered awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

"Well, these guys don't give up do they?" Kurtis asked, glancing in the side mirror at two trucks gaining on them.

Lara noticed a ridge in the sand coming up; a rare lake just beyond that. Buildings littered the other side of the lake. A town. Forming a plan in her mind, she glanced over at Kurtis.

"Give me the wheel. I have an idea," Lara instructed, climbing onto Kurtis' lap.

"Get into the other seat," she added, ignoring the satisfied look on Kurtis' face.

He complied, somewhat reluctantly, with her requests, and started to look at her expectantly.

"Open the window. When I say go, jump out of it and roll onto the sand, lying as flat as possible. Do you think you can handle that?" Lara said, somewhat patronisingly.

An incredulous expression crossed his handsome face, but he nodded.

"GO!" Lara yelled, jumping out of her window as she flipped the car over the ridge.

As expected, the car landed in the water, creating a huge wave of water which hit them as they lay there waiting in the sand.

She heard the two jeeps stop at the edge of the ridge, looking out into the lake.

"What a pathetic end to the infidels," a heavily accented voice uttered.

Relief coursed over her as the two jeeps went back across the landscape. She very much doubted that Karel would believe in their death, but it would buy them some time.

"And now what, milady?" Kurtis asked, helping her up.

"We eat," she said, watching the last rays of the sun dip under the horizon.

………………

There we go!

YAY, a really long chapter, I am proud of myself.

I hope you enjoyed it, please review.

'Til next time,

Dan.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Argh, people I am so bored, life is just so uninteresting! I need entertainment! So I decided to write this chapter in an effort to make me less bored.

Yes, this chapter is the one you have all been waiting for, the romance is starting! Waits for cheers and applause

And what an update! Within two weeks, eight days to be precise! That is good for me and you know it, lol.

Lol. Next chapter is going to be extra long, I decided to do the entire temple thing in one chapter to make life easier.

YAY 60 reviews! An achievement methinks.

Thanks for the reviews:

**Mystique1515**- I'm glad you liked it, here is your chapter! Thanks for the review.

**anonymousperson3**- thanks for both reviews, I'm glad you like it ;)

**SilverDragon67**- Thank you! Yeah it is Kurtis, no fakes in my story, lol. Thanks for the review.

**godavri**- Thank you, I'm glad you thought so.

Well, here we go again. I have no idea how many chapters before I finish this story, I am aiming to have about 35, maybe a little less, so we are only half way people! That's kind of scary when I realise how much I have to write, lol. I will be sad to see this story go when I finally do finish.

Enjoy ;)

Big thanks to my beta, **harshlightofday**.

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

The town turned out to be little more than a group of houses and a bar. Luckily, the bar served food and Lara had the foresight to convert some of her cash so they could eat some food.

"Well, I would say 'let's sleep in the car', but someone had to dump it in a lake," Kurtis mumbled quietly at her, taking a bite of the bread she had so kindly bought him.

"And how were we going to get away from Karel otherwise, Kurtis dearest?" the brunette returned sarcastically, fiddling with the end of her plait, having long since finished her own meal.

Snorting, Kurtis finished up his share of the food and then unanimously left the bar, leaving a hefty tip for the ever so generous but poor family who owned the bar.

_So I have a heart, sue me_, thought Lara, glancing back at the delighted faces of the family.

They scouted the small town again, hoping that a hotel would materialise out of the blue and house them for the night.

There was no such luck, of course, for the two tired adventurers.

"We are so doomed," Lara said gloomily, hugging her arms around herself, trying to keep the chilly air away from her bare skin.

_I knew hot pants and a tank top would let me down someday,_ she thought to herself wryly.

"Excuse me. Father wonders if you want stable for night?" a little girl asked, pulling on Lara's leg.

She recognised the dirty, dark haired girl from the bar. The manager's daughter.

Lara nodded, smiling to show her thanks, knowing the child had trouble with English, and she was little after all.

"Hmm, all we need is a manger, a deity and three old men and the picture will be complete," Kurtis complained as they reached the stable.

The stable housed a donkey and two cows, with a few sheep scattered about and chickens pacing in between. Obviously they were needed for food; there must have been little else to eat out here. The walls of the wooden structure were caked with dust and sand, and hay was just about everywhere, providing both bedding and food for the animals.

_And for us_, Lara added mentally.

"I've slept in worse places," Lara commented, wading into a corner free of animal droppings and any animals themselves.

Kurtis snorted as he joined her, sitting down beside her.

Immediately, Lara's senses were heightened due to their close proximity. She felt betrayed by the lust and longing that she felt within her and yet, at the same time, was wondering why she

couldn't just live for once; be happy, live for the moment.

_Because all the times you have done that you ended up getting hurt, _Lara bitterly thought, moving away from Kurtis.

"Dammit Lara, when are we going to stop this?" Kurtis asked, perfectly serious for once, holding her gaze.

She felt like cursing him for having such lovely eyes, but felt the boy had it bad enough.

_He is American after all_.

"Because it is better this way," Lara said finally, looking away, staring resolutely at the wall.

Kurtis said nothing, and only laid down on the hay next to her. Following suit, Lara unclipped her holsters and slipped her bag off, both within reaching distance if they had to leave unexpectedly.

She also slipped off her shoes, shaking the sand out between her aching toes. The Egyptian nights were cold; Lara knew this, but yet she never brought any more clothes because she regretted it instantly during the day. It was better to be too cold than too hot in her opinion.

Starting to shiver, she tucked her legs up under her and freed her hair from its braid, hoping it would shelter her body from the wind that was seeping through the holes in the walls.

_I always knew long hair was good for something,_ Lara thought, remembering all the times she had come close to chopping it all off.

"Lara you're freezing. Come here," Kurtis said, pulling herself closer to him. She felt his hand slip around her small waist and his other stroke her cheek in a protective way.

Weighing up the choices of both staying there and hitting Kurtis for his child minding attitude, Lara quickly noted that he was not wearing his shirt anymore.

"Kurtis, you'll..." Lara started, before noticing he had draped it over her, the large size covering her fetal position perfectly. He moved away slowly, pulling hay over him to keep him warm.

"Oh come here, you'll freeze," Lara stated, moving closer to the cocky American who was plaguing her thoughts too much for her liking.

Kurtis at once held her close, and even she couldn't deny the comfort she felt there.

_He needs this and so do I_, she thought.

Before she had a chance to rethink, Lara hauled herself on top of Kurtis, her hair falling down across his face, tickling his skin.

"Don't speak," she whispered in her British accent, before moving her head down into a kiss that seemed to explode in her mouth.

She had denied herself for so long, and she couldn't remember why, as Kurtis encircled his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Don't hurt me, or you will live to regret it," Lara said, as she pulled away for air, noticing how his eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Oh, I know I will, milady," Kurtis said, closing the distance between their mouths again.

Finally, Lara was home.

………………..

Yeah, sweet, short and fluffy. I tried to keep Lara in character but I think the story really needed this, to kinda kill of the prelude I have built up so much, let's face it, they needed to kiss. Lol.

I hope you enjoyed, please review!

A very long chapter next time folks.

'Til then, take care!

Did you know I have updated every single story that needs to be updated in the last two days? Go me!

Dan.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Hello guys, well, here I am for the extra long chapter, I hope you enjoy it, it has killed me writing it, lol.

Thanks for the reviews:

**SilverDragon67**- Of course not, I don't want to get out of character! Thanks for the review, I am glad you liked it.

**Arakanga**- I'm glad you liked it, thanks for the review.

**Mystique1515**- Ah, I thought it would be better to postpone it, lol. Thanks for the review.

**Godavri**- I completely agree, fluff is good.

**N.F.I**- Thanks.

Here we go:

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

The two awoke to sunlight streaming through the gaps in the walls of the barn, causing them to stir restlessly for a few moments.

It took Lara a few moments to realise that she was lying in Kurtis' arms, their legs entwined. Memories of the past night flooded her, making the brunette smile to herself slightly while releasing herself from the American's grasp.

Standing up, and trying to relax the muscles in her back, Lara decided to step outside for a moment; to clear her head and think about the long day ahead of them.

Today they were going after a Periapt Shard, one that was hidden within the secret vaults of an unknown Lux Veritatis base on the sandy plains.

After a few minutes, she felt Kurtis wrap his arms around her waist, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

"Come on, we must leave if we want to get this shard today," Lara said, motioning to the small bar that they had eaten in last night, intending to have some breakfast.

………………

After eating some food, thanking the small family profusely for their shelter the night before and giving them a very large tip, the two walked outside where two camels awaited them, for they had bought them last night for their journey.

Slipping into a large white linen overdress designed to keep off the heat, Lara clambered onto her camel and rode on after Kurtis, who was leading the way from memory.

The trip across the desert provoked old memories within Lara; of her tomb raiding days and of finding the Amulet of Horus, which had proved to be her downfall.

They travelled in silence, sweating in the hot morning sun, ever thankful for the small comfort and protection their overclothes brought them.

"We're here," Kurtis said, after an hour's worth of travel.

They were in the middle of the desert, with no one around for miles. Not one building could be seen across the horizon. It felt as if she and Kurtis were the only people in the whole world.

The silence was only broken by the rustle of sand against the soft wind.

"It doesn't look like much," Lara remarked, hopping off the sturdy animal that had taken her to this desolate place.

"Oh, it is, trust me," Kurtis said, giving her a smirk before bending down to the sand beneath them, in search of something.

"Here we go," he muttered, fiddling with something in the ground, which opened up before them at his touch.

Feeling a bad case of déjà vu, Lara screamed as she was thrown down a slide of some sorts, wincing as the ground closed up behind them, sealing them into darkness.

After a few minutes, Lara shot out the end of the slide, covered in dust and bruises.

Coughing slightly, she threw off her white over robe and dusted off her long braid. She glanced over at Kurtis who was examining a cut on his arm that was bleeding slightly.

"Come on then; the sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can kick Karel's arse and forget all this mess," Lara muttered, as Kurtis jogged over to her.

She lit a flare, which she had retrieved from her back pack, and their surroundings were immediately revealed.

The walls were hewn from a rough stone, brown in colour. The floor consisted of the everlasting sand that seemed to cling to everything in this hot country.

In front of them there was a doorway, with heavy wooden doors keeping anyone out. This surprised Lara, as wood was not widely used in Egypt, especially not in the time that this temple was built.

"Do you have the key?" she asked Kurtis, who was examining the carved wood of the entrance.

He didn't answer; he just took out a pendant that hung from a chain around his neck. It was made of silver and had an intricate design across the surface. He placed the strange pendant into an imprint set in the stone by the door. The door rumbled open with an ominous sound, as if warning them of the danger that lay ahead of them.

"Let's get moving," Kurtis said, grabbing Lara's arm and pulling her into the doorway.

The next room was an entrance hall of sorts. The walls and floor were made of a cobalt marble, with torches embedded into the stone at regular intervals. The torches had burst into flame as soon as they had entered the chamber; never a good sign in Lara's opinion.

Lara was surprised that her tomb raiding senses had not disappeared after years of disuse. They had only been silent and unused, not forgotten.

She noted a door on the opposite side of the room, one made of gilded gold that had a lever situated next to it, presumably to open the door.

"I guess we pull that switch," Kurtis assessed, making a move to run towards their goal.

"Do you have a death wish, Trent?" Lara asked, grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Just follow my lead and you might not get impaled by spikes today," Lara said, feigning a grumpy tone.

Kurtis pouted but obligingly allowed the brunette to make the first move.

Lara picked up a loose stone from the floor and threw it across the centre of the room, waiting to see if any traps were activated.

As she suspected, the floor in the middle of the room gave away, leaving a gloomy hole that undoubtedly led towards a spiky doom.

"You need respect when going into a tomb. You never know what fate may befall you if you do not respect your surroundings," Lara preached, remembering the similar words Von Croy had said to her all those years ago in Cambodia.

"Come on, we have to shimmy across the sides," Lara said, motioning to the small edges that were left along either side.

With an incomprehensible groan, Kurtis heaved himself onto the floor and began to traverse his way to the other side of the room.

Smirking at his awkward movements, Lara followed suit, and gracefully moved across to the other side, smirking again at the look of wonder on Kurtis' face.

"One gets better at these kind of things with practice," Lara grumbled, stretching out her arms in an effort to eliminate the ache in them.

Ignoring the American who had plagued her thoughts for the most part of the day, Lara reached the beautiful golden door and the lever beside it, stopping briefly to admire the craftsmanship displayed on the cool metal.

Bracing her feet against the blue floor, Lara quickly pulled the switch before rolling off to the side, avoiding any trap that could have sprung forth from the device.

Luckily, nothing happened apart from the rumble of the metal doors opening, allowing them entrance.

"Kurtis, wait!" Lara yelled, as the tall man walked through the doors.

Her heart stopped as she heard the unpleasantly familiar sounds of blades swinging. She could not see from her vantage point whether Kurtis was alright, but fear rooted her to the spot. Loved ones had always seemed to leave her life somehow, leaving a heartbroken version of herself behind.

"They don't actually want us to find this thing, do they?" a cocky voice said from the doorway, causing her to run towards the golden doors and peer inside the entrance.

Many long metal blades punctuated the walls at several intervals, some holding the remains of unlucky tomb raiders who had gotten snagged in their deathly grip.

Kurtis was lying on the floor, next to his bag that had been cut cleanly in half.

She raised an eyebrow in question as she dusted her black tank top off, her heart returning to its normal pace.

"I was about to throw it to see if the coast was clear," he offered in an explanation, his breathing still ragged with fear.

"Kurtis, I would hate to blemish such beautiful surroundings with your blood, so for the last time, will you please follow my lead?"

He nodded, his sapphire eyes surveying the room.

There was a small hallway lined with blades, its walls constructed of an orange stone with many pictures painted on its rough surface. The floor was of a smooth ivory coloured marble, reflecting them perfectly. After the hallway was a large square room, of the same colour, but with light reflected against the walls; no doubt from a pool of water up ahead.

"Come on, it looks like we have to get wet," Lara muttered, ducking beneath the blades and making her way to the pool.

Her chocolate orbs (ignore me if I'm being pedantic :p but I think 'eyes' sounds much better than 'orbs') wistfully noticed the symbols and text carved into the walls, longing to read its secrets, yet she knew time was short and that they had to get the shard without much delay.

They reached the pool without difficulty, Lara testing its deep depths for warmth. Like she predicted, the water was cold, but bearable. After all, this would seem warm compared to the frigid waters of Antarctica.

"Come on then, get ready to go deep. Follow my instructions. I don't want you to drown on me," Lara ordered, taking off her holsters and back pack and stashing them in the corner of the room. Kurtis followed suit, mumbling something about crazy British women and cold water. Lara just smiled sweetly and grabbed four flares from her pack, just in case their first ones ran out.

"Let's get this over with," Kurtis grumbled, taking a flare that she offered him and slipping into the water, muttering profanities under his breath about the cold.

Smirking, Lara dived into the water, noticing the American wince as cold water splashed over him.

Lighting her flare, she instructed Kurtis to wait there before diving down into the icy depths.

The cool, suppressing feeling of water felt comfortingly familiar to her. The liquid caressed her skin in an almost reassuring way.

At the bottom of the emerald tiled pool was a small passageway that was obviously of importance. Quickly resurfacing for air, Lara propelled herself back down and into its murky entrance, thankful for the flare she held in her hand.

The small passageway was tiled green as the main pool was, and at the end was a switch, just below a trap door. Deciding not to get Kurtis and travel on instinct, Lara threw the switch, hearing the mechanical opening of the trap door above her. She could see that the water did not stop above the trap door, its cold grip extending into the next, very high room.

In desperate need of air, Lara travelled back the way she had came, Kurtis having to grab her and haul her to the surface as she had weakened her body with the lack of oxygen.

Taking in several steady gasps of air, Lara felt ready to swim again.

"There is a trap door down there which leads to another room full of water. I hope you can hold your breath," Lara assessed, before dragging Kurtis down with her.

A part of her knew that Kurtis would unlikely be able to hold his breath for as long as she could, so she decided to swim as fast as she could, the American swimming behind her.

As they were swimming up into the next room, Lara's eyes carefully swept the flooded room, looking for anything of importance.

The room, she assumed, must have been of smooth sandstone originally, with beautiful carvings and statues lining the walls. However, the organisms in the water had covered everything with a thick olive algae, hiding most of its splendour from the world.

Noticing the surface only a few feet away, Lara pushed her aching legs faster, needing the air desperately; Kurtis doing the same behind her.

Lara's head broke the surface of the water first, sucking in a large amount of air, savouring its presence (not sure about 'presence' here – seems a little out of context) after so long underwater. In reality it had only been a matter of minutes, but the aching in both her muscles and her lungs made it seem like a lifetime.

"Never again," Kurtis managed to splutter out, in between gasps for breath.

Smirking, Lara swam over to the edge of the water. They had surfaced just below the sloping of the roof, not giving them much room to maneuver in. There was, however, a ledge with a doorway just to their right, which seemed to the only exit from the room.

"Let's get moving," she said, vaulting onto the sandstone ledge and walking towards the door, raiding sense on full alert.

"Hopefully we have survived the only traps," Lara grumbled, flipping her soaking wet braid off her shoulder, squirming uncomfortably in the tight outfit she wore, which seemed like a second skin when wet.

_I bet Kurtis is enjoying this_, she thought to herself, as her chocolate orbs assessed the narrow passageway.

They followed the stone corridor for a couple of minutes, pausing every few moments to determine they were safe from traps, until a room came into view; one that glowed with an almost ethereal blue glow.

The one feature that drew their attention instantly was the pedestal in the middle of the room.

With a Periapt Shard resting on it.

………………

I know I promised I would get all the tomb bit done in one chapter, but if I did it would be about 15 pages and a bit heavy winded, so I will leave this here.

I hope you enjoyed it, please review!

Dan.


	21. Chapter Twenty

Hello everyone! Sorry again for the long delay but I had an impromptu holiday to Wales that stopped me from updating. But anyways, thanks for the reviews:

**Mystique1515**- Lol, sorry about the delays, but I'm glad you like it.

**godavri**- Lol, how can anyone be that lazy? Actually that is something that I would do so I can't say much, but thanks for the review!

**Angel K.D**- Thank you, I am glad you think so.

**LostandConfused05**- Lol, I'm glad you think I'm not taking it too fast and what not, it was supposed to be realistic kinda. I don't find it that hard to write about tombs though, maybe I'm just odd? Lol, thanks for the review.

And the next chapter…

**CHAPTER TWENTY **

Lara's eyes surveyed the room, trying to determine if their passage was hindered by unwanted traps. Seeing none, she cautiously approached the shard that lay on a pedestal in the centre of the room, its crystalline appearance shimmering in the light.

Motioning for Kurtis to stay behind her, she walked slowly towards the centre of the azure room, the shard becoming larger with each step she took.

"With my experience, something awful is bound to happen when we try and take the shard," Lara stated, turning her head slightly so she could see her partner out of the corner of her eye.

He smirked and started to survey the room for himself.

Lara ignored the shard for a few moments as she reached the pedestal, but promptly tried to decipher the text carved onto the blue marble that held their prize.

Recognising the calligraphy as Latin, she read aloud what the ancient holder said: "_The wrath of the Gods will be inflicted on those unworthy of taking the weapon_," Lara said, furrowing her forehead in confusion.

_But how do we judge who is worthy?_ she mused, looking over to Kurtis for an idea.

"It means that only a Lux Veritatis member can access it," he said whilst folding his arms across his chest and leaning against one of the many white stone pillars that lined the blue walls.

"Well, off you go then," Lara said, walking to the place where Kurtis was standing, throwing him her backpack as she leaned against the pillar next to him.

He gave her a surprised look before the smirk returned to his face. Walking with a strange mixture of grace and speed, he approached the shard and quickly grabbed it in one swift movement, depositing the weapon in the bag she had given him.

"That wasn't so bad," he said, relief seeping through his American accent, his hand wiping his sweaty brow.

The brunette couldn't help but laugh at his nervousness.

"Trust me when I say I have done a lot more nerve racking things than that. Like imprisoning Horus, killing a dragon, oh, and having temples collapse around me. That has happened a fair few times," Lara said in an offhand manner, enjoying the taken aback look etched across the American's features.

Regretting bringing her past up, she flipped her usual plait over her shoulder and grabbed the bag from Kurtis, making her way to the exit on the other side of the room.

He followed after her, each of them traversing through the endless maze of corridors cautiously, to avoid anything that might block their path to freedom.

"I sure won't miss this place," Kurtis muttered, as they walked through a particularly dank hallway with a dark green slime growing upon the wet sandstone walls. Puddles of water lay on the stone floor, causing them to be extra careful to prevent injuring themselves.

"Look, another pool. We have to swim out," Lara said when they reached a small square of water that was the dead end. "It probably leads back into the main pool," Lara added, studying the clear water for any signs of traps or unwanted predators.

Seeing nothing to cause alarm, she jumped into the water, the shard on her back, not waiting for Kurtis to follow her.

The water felt cool against her clammy skin, refreshing her effectively and allowing her muscles to move through the water with practiced ease.

She felt Kurtis swim behind her, his arms occasionally brushing her leg as he propelled himself forward. The cave they were swimming in was surprisingly illuminated and was only a few feet wide and deep, like a narrow trench built for speed and purpose, not another trap.

Her lungs were aching for air when she finally reached the other side of the tunnel, which did open out into the main pool as she had predicted earlier. Lara kicked her legs and struggled to reach the surface before she passed out from a lack of oxygen.

Her head broke free of the water, her lungs sucking in the air that surrounded her.

She watched Kurtis surface beside her, his breathing as ragged as hers, and together they swam to the side of the pool and climbed out, glad to be on dry land again.

"Remind me never to go tomb raiding with you again," Kurtis commented dryly, as they walked out of the golden doors that allowed them access to the tomb in the first place.

The ramp which they had slid down - rather ungracefully - to get here had turned into steps at some point when they were inside the tomb, though Lara suspected it was when they removed the periapt shard, she realised she never would know the answer.

Together they set off up the roughly hewn stone steps, each of them remaining silent, both exhausted from their excursions. Lara looked in disgust at her ruined clothing and dirty hair and noticed Kurtis did not look much better; his clothing torn and dirty, with an unsightly green smear across his right cheek that most likely came from the slimy underground tunnel they had had to swim through.

The found the camels they had ridden on their way to the tomb still there when they re-emerged into the endless heat, but Lara noticed it was dwindling, suggesting that sunset was fast approaching.

There was a loud, grinding noise from behind them, which upon inspection turned out to be a heavy stone sliding back over the tomb's entrance, swallowing up the resting place of the shard in piles of golden sand.

………………

They rode back to the small town they had stayed in before their trip into the tomb and were greatly welcomed by the family at the bar, who remembered their large tip from before.

Lara broached the subject of the next shard they had to collect over a simple dinner of sausage and rice, which turned out to be a rather enjoyable concoction.

"The next shard is in Brazil, in the very heart of the Amazon, so we will have to fly there.

Hopefully we can do so without alerting Karel to our presence and the fact that we have the shard," Kurtis informed her, between mouthfuls of rice.

Lara agreed and ate the rest of her meal in silence.

………………

After a brief trip to the restroom to clean herself up slightly, the brunette returned to the barn that she and Kurtis had slept in the previous night, when she had finally allowed some form of a relationship to develop between them beyond professional status.

"Let's get some rest," Kurtis said, who had walked in behind her, with a large red patch on his cheek which showed his vigorous attempts to clean the smear off his cheek.

Sighing slightly as he laid her down on the soft hay, Lara tuned out the sounds of the animals in the barn, or the wind knocking against the wooden walls, focusing entirely on the warm arms wrapped around her. Checking once again to make sure the periapt shard was still in her backpack (which was still on her back, though Kurtis had yet to moan about that fact), she finally allowed herself to drift into a comfortable sleep.

…………………

And the end of the chapter!

A **HUGE** thanks to me beta reader **theharshlightofday**

Please review, more Karel in the next chapter, promise.

Dan.


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

Hello again everyone! I'm back with another chapter.

Thanks for the review:

**lady summoner2**- LOL. I'm glad you like my idea, I would like to finish one of my other stories before I start it though, well, and one on too, but after that maybe I will have a go at it. I didn't like the ending really either, lol. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you enjoy my work.

Oh, I'm thinking about boosting the rating, as the relationship between Kurtis and Lara is going to get more complicated, and err real, so I would like to know if anyone has a problem with this, so if you can email/review with your view that would be extremely helpful. Thanks.

And on we go again:

(I am seriously running out of ideas on how to introduce each chapter, any ideas?)

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

"Well, now we have got it I suggest we lay low for a while; try and keep Karel off our tracks," Kurtis suggested to her, as they ate a bland meal of bread and cheese the next morning.

Lara shook her head, feeling slightly disgusted at how dirty she was. "No, we should keep up our momentum. The sooner we collect them..."

"The sooner we get to separate," Kurtis finished for her, causing the brunette to wince and finish the rest of her small meal in silence.

They sat once again in the small bar in the town where they had rested before retrieving the shard. After waking that morning, they had promptly entered the bar for breakfast and to discuss their plans for the day.

"Either way we have to leave this town promptly and get as far away as possible, even if that means walking all day. We can lay low for one day, after we have arrived at a safe place, and then we have to travel to the Amazon," Kurtis said, finishing his meagre meal and standing up promptly, giving a smile and a thumb up to the deaf barmaid.

After leaving a hefty tip for the struggling owners of the bar, the couple left the dingy town on foot.

Lara had managed to find the remains of a white cloth bedspread in the barn that she had wrapped around her like a salwar kameez, with a little part of the fabric covering her head from the harsh rays of light the sun was beating down on them. Kurtis had stubbornly refused to wear any of the cloth, saying that it would slow him down if they needed to run at any point. Lara wasted no time in trying to convince him otherwise.

They walked around the oddly placed lake and were starting the effectively short journey back to Jean's house. However, the relentless heat and stuffy air made the journey seem a thousand miles long, and when the house finally came into view it felt as if they had been travelling days, not hours.

Due to their early start they had managed to find the house just before the midday heat was about to arrive, causing both of them to sigh in relief.

They both entered the house, Kurtis coughing again at the amount of dust, both of them basking in the shade and shelter the rundown house afforded them. Lara had not really mourned for Jean-Yves as such, as the realization she had lost another friend to Karel had not yet sunk in. She was determined to avenge his death, and Werner's, by killing the Nephilim once and for all.

They both climbed the stairs to one of the bedrooms, not wanting to stay in the room where Jean-Yves lost his life. Lara had taken off her make-do protection against the sun and laid it across the floor for them to sit on.

"Jean used to have another car: a little thing, quite inconspicuous. After we have eaten I will go see if it is drivable," Lara commented, pulling two wrapped packages from her bag.

The meal consisted of two pitas filled with grated cheese and some ham; nothing special, but filling and simple. Lara once again wished for a shower as she moved her musty hair out of the way to eat. She realised she must've looked terrible.

_Not that you are bothered Croft, _she reminded herself, turning slightly away from Kurtis.

His closeness was once again wrecking havoc on her heart, and she was mildly surprised that the American couldn't hear its erratic state.

Taking a long sip from the lukewarm water that was in her bag, Lara stood up and tried to make her way down to the garage and save herself from the intoxicating presence beside her. That intoxicating presence had other ideas, judging by the strong arm that was wrapped around her waist.

"Let me go Kurtis," Lara whispered as she was pulled flush against his body, his mouth kissing her neck affectionately.

"Whatever you want," he replied in a husky tone; an obvious innuendo in his statement.

Determined not to fall for his charms, or lack thereof, Lara left the room and headed down the stairs and back into the garage she had visited only a couple of days before.

The small red car was parked near the far wall of the garage, covered in a dust sheet to protect the paintwork. She briefly wondered who had covered everything up in the first place, but decided it was not wise to dwell on the events that had occurred within the house.

Sighing, she walked over to the car and took off the dust sheet, wincing slightly at the shabby appearance of the car. She had known Jean-Yves was by no means a rich man, but obviously his luck and money had run dry since her last visit to Egypt. Deep down, the brunette felt guilty for leaving her once-friend to fend for himself, but she had a strong suspicion that any charity would be quickly denied.

A quick inspection under the hood showed the car should be in working order. Noticing the keys were still in the ignition, Lara felt something akin to relief that for once they had luck on their side.

"Have you checked the boot?" a voice asked from the door.

Gasping slightly, Lara instinctively grabbed her gun and trained it on the figure in the doorway without a moment's thought.

Kurtis.

Dropping and re-holstering her weapon, she gazed at him quizzically. "And why would I do that?" she asked, genuinely interested. She had always been an ask-questions-later kind of girl.

Without comment, the dark haired man strode across the room and yanked open the boot, only to reveal an empty space.

"Guess I was wrong," he muttered, before taking the driver's seat of the car.

Lara was slightly offended he didn't even ask if she wanted to drive before assuming she didn't - not that she would have taken the task anyway. She was extremely tired, yet she thought it was polite to ask.

_Here you are miffed about manners when you have committed more crimes than the combined criminals of America itself_, she mused.

They both heard the footsteps long before the heavily accented voice permeated the room. Karel had found them; that, or he was paying a random visit to the abandoned house.

Lara had quickly grabbed the discarded dust sheet and covered the car before slipping under the fabric, opening the door to sit inside the vehicle with Kurtis.

"So you have found no trace of them?" Karel asked, his voice only metres away.

"No, they have probably left the country by now," a voice answered, his voice accented also but in a strong Russian tone.

"To the Amazon it is then," the Nephilim answered, his voice quickly followed by the unmistakable sound of a door slamming shut.

They both waited with shallow breath for what seemed like an eternity; both starting to slowly relax as nothing was heard.

"He knows where the temple is then?" Lara questioned, not expecting an answer from her companion.

"The exact location is only known to a Lux Veritatis member. He won't find it, trust me," Kurtis answered quietly, stealthily climbing out of the car and taking off the dust sheet that had protected them from discovery.

Lara's nerves only started to relax as they were deep into the desert, the evening sun casting an orange glow over the landscape.

_Why was he there though?_ she thought to herself, unsettled by the fact she had not even an idea of why he could have been there.

……………………

Yay, an update. Sorry it took so long, I hope you liked the small bit of fluffiness in this chapter. More to come soon, I just wanted to move the plot forward a bit more.

Any questions/critiques/comments are welcome via review or email.

'til next time,

M.P

Thanks to my beta **Linzi**


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

Damn, I'm sorry about the long gap between updates, but I've just started College and I've been really busy, but I am doing so much updating and writing today and hopefully I will have another chapter up next week.

Thanks for the reviews:

**Ellethiel**- Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it, sometimes it says I've updated, which I have, but the system is too slow and the chapter hasn't appeared yet, maybe that was your problem, anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**NFI**- Thanks, it's okay, lol.

**skyblue777**- No the humour was intentional. Thanks for all the praise, I am glad you are enjoying it, and that it didn't go crap, lol. I was worried you would fine it got steadily worse, but I am glad you are finding it okay, thanks for the review!

And on we go, the story because up a bit more momentum now (finally)

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

"I don't like this, it's too public - Karel can find us too easily," Lara murmured to Kurtis, who was facing away from her.

They were currently at Alexandria Airport after a long journey in the stolen car. Both were currently cringing at the amount of people around them, both distracted with worry. It would be all too easy for Karel to find them, or even worse, for them to be stuck in the country. As a precaution, they had disposed of all weapons and had turned up disguised as a married couple. Lara was far from pleased at the situation, wincing whenever she saw her reflection.

She had been convinced by Kurtis to wear a summery gypsy skirt and a normal white top, in an attempt to make her look like a tourist. She had kept her hair down to add to the disguise, though was sorely tempted to chop it all off, as the long strands kept falling across her eyes.

"For the last time, Mrs. Trent, you have nothing to worry about," he joked, as he offered his arm to her, leading her towards a waiting area where they could wait for their plane. So far they had been able not to arouse suspicion, which Lara considered somewhat of a miracle. She was a well known celebrity in most countries, and her exploits in Egypt had made the headlines several times.

The brunette sighed as she sat down on one of the many chairs, scowling at the discomfort. They had been forced to walk a mile or so to the airport, abandoning the car they had technically stolen, keeping it well hidden in an abandoned garage, where it would hopefully only be found by thieves and hijackers.

"So, darling, where exactly in the Amazon are we going?" Lara questioned, using heavy sarcasm as a way to relieve her frustrations.

Frustratingly, the American didn't reply; just picked up a book someone had discarded on a nearby seat and started to read for the two hour wait. His smirk infuriated her relentlessly, but she was determined not to show it; she would not give him the satisfaction.

She started to relentlessly tap the corner of the chair in an annoying way, humming along with it to double the irritation that it would cause Kurtis. After five minutes of this practice, she could feel the gazes of many frustrated tourists on her, yet Kurtis still hadn't moved.

Mentally sulking, Lara tapped harder and began to '_la_' her tune out, ignoring the several groans and obscenities nearby passengers uttered.

But Kurtis still didn't move.

He sat there casually, his brow furrowed in concentration, his lips mouthing some of the words he read from the accursed book subconsciously.

Lara could feel an eyebrow twitching in anger. All she wanted was an answer to her question, the one she had been asking for several days. Kurtis had refused to tell her the exact location of the temple, which was understandable, but he still would not even hint at where it could be.

"Look, we are supposed to be partners. Partners don't keep secrets from each other," Lara said eventually, abandoning her other tactic.

Finally, the American looked up from what turned out to be a romance novel, and bored his eyes into Lara's own brown ones. She gasped despite herself. She had never really appreciated how beautiful those eyes really were, and vowed to herself never to overlook them again.

He leaned over to her slowly, his eyes never breaking contact from hers.

"That is true, my darling wife," he stated sarcastically, his face close to hers, making the brunette draw back slightly from discomfort, "But then our arrangement isn't exactly normal."

Sighing, Lara sank back in her seat, attempting to get as much rest before the flight as possible, She never flew well, a secret she was determined to carry to her grave. She could only imagine the constant teasing she would receive from Kurtis regarding that fact.

Eventually, they boarded their plane, with Lara's nerves becoming steadily more frantic, but she disguised them to the best of her ability.

She had never liked planes at all, but after the crash in the Himalayas, she had developed a steady fear of flying.

The plane was perfectly normal, with its plain white walls and blue carpet, and chairs adorned in fabric that only public transport could get away with.

Lara scanned the occupied aircraft in detail, unwilling to board a plane without knowing of any potential dangers or threats.

"Let's fly," Lara murmured as she sat down next to Kurtis, giving him a small smile as she did so.

……………………

"Wait," he whispered into her ear, as she headed towards the main building to collect their luggage.

Lara looked over at her partner in question, but his blue eyes refused to meet her gaze. He started to lead her away and into a smaller building, one she assumed was for staff and plane crew.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, as they entered the room. There were many desks covering the tiled floor, its plain grey walls reflecting a dreary sense of work-life to its unexpected guests.

All eyes were on them, and she wondered just how they were going to get away with this.

"We apologise for this, but my wife here is pregnant and needs to use a bathroom immediately. Can you let us use the one here?" Kurtis asked, adding a tone of worry into his voice to make it believable.

Curious eyes were now focused on the brunette, who immediately doubled over, clutching her stomach in fake agony, hoping her acting would be believable.

A concerned secretary immediately led them down a hallway to an inconspicuous bathroom, commenting, in heavily accented English, that she hoped everything was fine and that maybe they should call an ambulance.

Kurtis hurriedly assured the frenzied woman that would not be necessary and that he would stay with the brunette to ensure her safety.

Finally satisfied, the ginger haired secretary left them to their own devices.

Lara continued her acting until they were in the bathroom, and waited until the door was firmly shut before putting an end to her less-than-impressive display.

Before the harassed woman could open her mouth, a horrible sound echoed around the clean walls, shaking the room, causing them both to cup their hands against their ears for protection.

The unmistakable sound of an explosion.

Kurtis dived on top of her, protecting her from any debris that could have showered over them. As soon as the shaking stopped, the American leapt away from Lara and opened the door to the ruined bathroom.

Brushing herself off, Lara stepped into the corridor, taking note of the workers who were emerging form under desks and other hiding places. No one seemed critically injured, and all of them were distracted, but she acted like a pregnant woman in case any of them later found the couple suspicious.

They left the small building and her brown eyes immediately spotted the site of the explosion.

The luggage terminal.

"How did you know?" Lara asked quietly, her mind wondering what would have happened had they been in there.

…………………

Sorry again for taking so long, but I am back form my impromptu holiday, and will hopefully be back with an update soon, I won't make promises though, lol.

Please review :)

M.P


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

Oh. My. God.

I am alive, as in a living breathing thing, who has just not updated for about 6 months. My apologies everyone.

More Lara/Kurtis action though in this chapter so, forgive me?

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

The ringing vibration was still pounding in Lara's ears as they made their quick getaway from the scene. They had decided to continue the charade of Lara being pregnant so as not to arouse suspicion, with Kurtis frantically asking anyone who would come by where the hospital was for his 'darling wife.' The whole episode was enough to make Lara squirm in embarrassment and she was certain she would look back in horror over the events that had occurred when reminiscing in later life.

The airport was in disarray. Fire was rapidly spreading through the terminal and stretching out on the runway, with the occasional explosion signaling the destruction of a fuel tank or some other equipment. People were screaming, children crying and staff trying to tend to the injured as best as they could until the ambulances arrived; it was absolutely chaotic.

There was no doubt in Lara's mind as to who had launched the attack, but why Karel had attacked like this baffled her. It was common sense for someone not to attack a large public place where there could have been dozens of witnesses and no guarantee that they would hit their target. That, and it simply wasn't his style. Karel seemed the type to enjoy torture and death on a personal basis, and a bomb simply did not fit his ideals.

Lara was careful to clutch her stomach painfully all the way through the run down the terminal, avoiding the debris on the floor.

Kurtis suddenly veered off to the right, grabbing Lara's arm as together they slipped through a passage which was presumably for staff only.

"They'll have all exits monitored," Lara whispered to the man in front, cursing silently over the dress she wore which severely restricted her movement.

"Not all of them," came the arrogant reply, as the American pulled out his custom made Boran X and shot out a vent on the wall.

"How unoriginal," she remarked dryly, as Kurtis heaved himself up into the gap. Lara followed suit, not before ripping the irritating dress from her around her legs, leaving her wearing the more practical pants that she preferred.

She gracefully climbed into the surprisingly cold vent, one hand latched onto the covering Kurtis had shot away. She placed it as carefully as possible back into place, knowing from experience that a shot out vent cover would arouse suspicion. Lara crawled along in the darkness, conscious of how much noise she was making; Kurtis was also making an effort to keep silent.

After twenty agonising minutes in the now unbearably cold vent, they approached another grate that appeared to lead outside.

"Is there anyone out there?" Lara asked irritably, rubbing a hand against her aching neck. Kurtis was crouched at the front of the vent, shushing her with a peculiar hand motion. She swallowed the temptation to make a sarcastic remark and instead concentrated on the voices that were floating into the vent.

"They're dead then," a satisfied voice questioned. Lara could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

Karel.

"Yes, my Lord," a nervous voice answered, causing Lara's lips to quirk up slightly.

The unmistakable sound of a car starting reached their ears as they both waited patiently for Karel to leave. She knew that it was hard for Kurtis to control the urge to kill him right then, or at least try to, but she admired his restraint.

Once they were sure their enemies were gone, they clambered out of the vent, the brunette managing it much more gracefully than Kurtis.

"And how are we going to get to the Amazon now?" she asked, as they both headed discreetly for the fence, being sure to stay covered by the various crates and props in the nearby area.

Her question fell on deaf ears as Kurtis unsheathed a blade that was resting at his ankle.

"How did you get that past the metal detectors?" Lara asked, looking at the strange transparency of the blade.

"Diamond," was the response, as the American slashed effortlessly through the link-wire fence.

Lara was impressed, but unwilling to admit to it in front of the already arrogant man standing before her, so she just climbed out of the new hole in the fence muttering a '_ladies first_' in his direction.

Kurtis crawled through and carried on walking, unaware that she was still knelt by the fence, carefully threading some garden wire she kept in her bag through the loops in the fence, hoping it would be unnoticeable that the fence had been damaged until they were long gone to South America.

"Ingenious," a deep voice rumbled by her ear, causing her to smirk a little at the American who now crouched beside her. Lara turned her head back slightly to smile at the man. "We'll be going to Turkey first then getting a plane from there," Kurtis mentioned lightly, as if the task ahead of them was simple.

"Yes, and we need to steal a boat, gather supplies and create new disguises for when we eventually do get to the airport. This is not going to be easy," she murmured, forming a plan in her head.

"We'll make it easy," he murmured to her, slipping an arm around her waist as they walked slowly and carefully away from the ruined airport. Lara did not ask if he was merely carrying on their play of husband and wife, strangely content with the strong arm wrapped securely around her waist.

…………………….

Joachim ran a hand through his blond hair as he sat calmly in the back of an expensive limousine.

A picture of the carnage situated at the airport brought a smirk to his lips, revealing his amusement at the incident he had ordered. He knew that Croft and Trent had survived the incident - they would not have survived so long in their fields of work otherwise - yet he hoped the message of the attack was loud and clear.

_Even humans aren't that stupid_, he reminded himself, widening his smirk.

He was truly proud of his Nephilim status, and had never thought of the event that caused his descent from the heavens until he saw Lara Croft for the first time. Her beauty and grace were very much similar to the woman who had been responsible for his rejection from paradise; they even had the same dark hair.

_Perhaps that is why I cannot kill her_, he mused, feeling disgusted at the thought.

He had no such qualms over killing Trent though, as he had shown when he had obliterated his family. He had once thought the boy could be useful, but the murder of his father had derailed any association they could have forged together.

His survival techniques had been in place since the great flood and had been honed throughout the years.

_This time the Cabal will shine through on earth_, he declared mentally, determined in his quest.

…………………….

Lara dozed slightly, comforted by the gentle rocking of the boat they were sitting in. They had hijacked a car from a petrol station near the airport and had driven to Port Said to stow away aboard a fishing boat. The smell of tuna became unbearable after the first few moments when teamed with the dirty darkness of the cargo hold they were situated in. They had hidden safely behind several large cargo boats.

"Once night falls we will have to go up on deck and stow away in a lifeboat," Lara whispered, confident that the old fashioned boat had no security systems.

Kurtis nodded dumbly, looking distinctly uncomfortable in the environment they found themselves in.

"Let's pray we won't run into Karel when we reach our destination," Lara mentioned, hoping to discover the source of Kurtis' somber mood.

The American merely nodded again; the only sign that he had heard the brunette's statement. Lara felt a frown tug at her lips out of their own free will.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, each of them dwelling on their unfortunate situation.

"Don't worry Lara, we'll be alright," Kurtis whispered into the darkness, his blue eyes glittering in what little light penetrated the gloom.

She could not help but think there was a hint of innuendo to his words.

……………………………

I'm sorry for the crappy start to this chapter, I had to get my flow back after all this time.

I am sorry about that, it won't happen again.

For info on the Nephilim check out this amazing site: think I love the Admin :P

Any suggestions are of course welcome, thanks again.

M.P.


	25. Chapter TwentyFour

Small _italic_ lines are thoughts, a long block of it is a flashback :)

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

The slow rocking of the boat was starting to test her nerves, causing her to try and think of something to occupy her mind, rather than the situation she currently found herself in. The boat they had stowed away on had left Alexandria several hours ago. They were crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Port Halil in Gazipaşa, Turkey. From there they planned to steal a ride to Antalya airport in order to head to Brazil.

"I was looking forward to stealing a lifeboat so much," Lara stated wistfully, turning her nose up at the cargo hold they found themselves in. The stench of fish was overpowering, and did not help to improve her mood. Kurtis had snuck up to the higher decks earlier to find out their destination, and finding that it was perfectly compatible with their plans, decided it was wise not to risk being caught stealing a boat and allowing Karel to descend upon them. Sighing as she received no answer, the brunette turned to her own thoughts instead.

Lara agreed with his logic, but she was not particularly happy with their current situation. Her mind was plagued with the various dangers of their mission, and the repercussions should they fail. So many lives depended on the actions of two: a rogue American and a notorious tomb raider.

Kurtis sat silently, toying with the cuffs of his ruined shirt, paying no attention to his companion. Turning her head away from her stoic companion, Lara decided to get some rest. The journey was not that long, but the next opportunity to even relax would be too far away to ensure she was properly alert and rested for the dangers ahead of them.

Her journeys to South America had not been her favourite. The climate was less than desirable. Humid, hot and uncomfortable, her adventures had been less than pleasant, and only redeemed by her finding the treasures she was in pursuit of. Her last visit to the continent had been on her quest to find the Scion, and that had been nearly as life threatening as the one she embarked upon now.

_At least you have a partner now,_ she added mentally, looking over once again to the American across the dingy way. She had always considered herself to be a lone adventurer. Her past experiences had taught her you could only rely on yourself, and then only sometimes. Your senses could be tricked, your mind weakened by need and your will crushed by people you once held close. Lara barely trusted herself, and bringing Kurtis into her life was a mammoth risk for her, one she fully expected to regret.

"Stop thinking, I can almost hear the cogs in your brain turning," Kurtis drawled, breaking her from her reverie.

"Sorry. You are not the most talkative companion, and one does get rather bored when the only things to entertain oneself with are nets, fishing rods and coolers filled with the carcasses of fish."

Kurtis smirked at her rant, his light blue eyes taking on a mischievous countenance (the word 'countenance' is wrong in this context. Perhaps 'his light blue eyes alight with mischief'?).

"Is poor little rich Lara sulking?" he taunted, flicking a stray lock out of his eyes.

"_Hello, I'm Lara Croft."_

_The young woman introduced herself, shaking the hand of a slightly obese man behind an elegant mahogany desk. She took the seat offered to her, and paused briefly to admire the room, eager to devour every book in the long case that adorned one wall and wanting to peruse the various artefacts dotted around the room in cases._

_The young woman had dressed in a conservative suit, tailored to her athletic body perfectly, giving a smart appearance appropriate for a potential client._

"_The daughter of the late Lord Croft?__"__ The man questioned, leaning back in his leather office chair, reclining his arms back to expose the sweat stains in his light coloured suit. The young woman repressed a grimace._

"_Biologically speaking, yes,__"__ she answered with caution, unsure of where the conversation was going. _

_Lara Croft had applied for a job to be the lead archaeologist on a dig to uncover a lost mortuary temple in Egypt. It would hopefully become her third successful expedition._

_The man, a Mr. Cornell, gave her a patronising smile. "I think any good man would be insulted to have to work with a pretty little rich girl with no qualifications and little experience. It would be an insult to those who haven't bribed their way into the business." _

_The finality of the comment persuaded her to leave, not before throwing the disgusting man a look of pure contempt. _

Lara ended up beating the very same man to a prized possession three years later, resulting in his trying to repair the damage he had caused. His look of horror as she shot several 'artistic' holes into his brand new car was one of the pleasanter memories she held.

"Don't ever call me that again," she mentioned quietly, not putting quite as much force into it as she had wanted. The brunette was tired of being perceived to be in this business for the money, tired of being accused of only doing the job she loved for the status and recognition she received. She felt frustrated every time an article mentioned her inheritance and wealth. It was something beyond her control, something she wished everyday of her life that she did not have. Yet she had learned over the years that one of the best methods of survival was to exploit what you had, and charm what you could not.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know you aren't like that. It's just hard to understand why someone who has it made wants to live like this," Kurtis replied, gesturing around at the cargo hold they were currently in.

Lara sighed, somewhat flattered that he was trying to understand her, but annoyed she had to explain herself once again, when she considered her answer to be obvious.

"I do this job because I love it. I don't honestly care if my net worth is fifty pence as long as I get to travel and see the world and not have to stay in that overbearing mansion of my father's."

Her words were said with conviction, not arrogance, something her partner appeared to be surprised by.

_Clearly he's just one of the many who think being rich means you've got it made_, Lara thought, slightly disappointed by his lack of foresight.

No more words were exchanged until a soft bump was heard that signaled their arrival at the dock. Shouted commands were heard from their hiding place in a language neither could understand, causing them to become apprehensive. Instinctively, Lara hid behind one of the larger crates, motioning for Kurtis to join her.

"Wait for the ship to go completely silent, then we shall proceed with caution," Lara instructed.

The ship was currently active with the various sounds of the crew working on the ship, no doubt getting it ready for its next voyage.

Luckily, no one had come down into their hiding place - no doubt too busy with securing and cleaning the rest of the ship - but Lara felt that the crew would be accessing the room very shortly, and would catch them red-handed.

"Let's move out," Lara whispered to Kurtis, who was crouching awkwardly between a crate and a wall, trying to fit his muscular frame into a space far too small to be at all comfortable. He nodded appreciatively in agreement, stretching out silently from the space, offering a hand to Lara. Without thinking she accepted it, and found herself hauled to the side of his body. Looking up in confusion, Lara searched for a reason for her current position in Kurtis' expression. The slightly relaxed smile that pulled on his face gave away nothing. Her conscience was protesting against such an invasion of personal space, yet she allowed it, trying to justify the closeness as best as she could, not ready to admit to herself that she liked it.

The two sneaked out of the room, Lara still plastered to Kurtis' side. _Maybe he likes the thought of protecting me for once_, she mused, allowing a slight smile to enter her face.

The stark white hallways offered few places to hide if someone was coming, so they progressed speedily, finding the stairway they used when they first stowed aboard. From what they could tell it was not the main one, meaning they were in less danger of being caught. The fresh gusts of the sea air were a relief after having stayed in such a confined space, and Lara had to resist the urge to gulp in the air. The two looked around quickly, ensuring they had not been spotted before walking to the edge of the small boat and diving in the water. They immediately grabbed onto each other, kicking towards the shallow, sandy seabed. They knew that the noise of the splash would have been heard, so they swam under the boat, knowing for sure that they couldn't be seen there.

After a few minutes, and a need for air she could no longer ignore, Lara led Kurtis to the surface carefully, emerging silently by a sandy shore.

"Let's get to that airport," Lara murmured, heaving herself out of the cold water, partner in tow.

………………………

I know it's been ages, and I am truly sorry, things got too out of control and I needed to recollect.

But anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and I can promise I will update sooner.

Comments/reviews are welcome as always.

M.P.


	26. Chapter TwentyFive

_**Please Note: **_I have never actually been to Turkey, so information about the airport and such may be inaccurate, if you have been please feel free to correct me.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

"I am not paying so little, please take some more for such great merchandise," Kurtis said to the grinning man.

They were currently bartering with an old friend of Kurtis' for supplies they would need. Mr. Friedman was an ex-legionnaire who had worked with her American friend during a somewhat shadowy part of his life, for he never spoke of it, thus making meeting someone he used to collaborate with all the more interesting to Lara.

_If he wasn't trying to rip us off it would improve my interest_, she thought bitterly, scoffing at the outrageous price he had just named for a parachute.

Kurtis just accepted the prices, forking over the cash for two parachutes, new clothes for them both and various equipment that would be needed in a jungle like rope, a pick axe and a machete to cut away any unwanted foliage. Lara scoffed again at the number of items he had purchased, used as she was to marching into a jungle with nothing but the clothes on her back and two trusty pistols at her sides.

"You should not have paid him that much," Lara scolded as they left '_Friedman__'__s Firearms__'_. She was quite indignant that they had left a shop designed to sell guns without actually purchasing any, but managed to hold in most of her frustrations.

The brunette was actually unsure where the money had come from: she certainly had not seen the American dollars he had used to pay the man before, and could not help but think there was something she was not aware of.

They both clambered onto the motorbike they had managed to steal from the docks. It was a rusty old thing that barely managed to work with both of them seated upon it, and with the new purchases tied safely to the back of the vehicle it would be even slower.

With a sigh, Lara slipped her arms around Kurtis' waist as he drove off, struggling to get the engine up to thirty miles an hour. Luckily, the airport was not far and allowed them to enjoy a breezy respite from the hot, exotic location they found themselves in.

Whenever fate allowed it, Lara liked to appreciate the environment she found herself in, permitting her mind to wonder about the history of the locals and what their lives were like. She firmly believed that history was more than tombs and stones, that it was about people and how they lived and acted in their long dead society. The short bike ride gave her an ample opportunity to indulge in this.

The airport was a modern building, set haphazardly on the dusty, dry terrain that was found further inland. Security was fairly lax, all things considered. There were no terrorism reports or failed bomb scares, therefore efforts were focused elsewhere.

_Hopefully this will mean our passports won't be checked too often and Karel won't be alerted to our presence_, Lara thought optimistically.

They pulled into the airport car park, and breezed through to the reception desk. Kurtis promptly purchased two tickets to Manaus Airport in Brazil.

"May I have your passports please?"

Lara immediately started to take her bag off, pausing as she watched Kurtis pull out two passports, which looked real enough. The man at the desk seemed content enough with them, and passed them through, booking their flight.

Suddenly, she realised why he had paid his friend so much for what was rather mundane merchandise. The bag and their equipment was whisked through security, attracting no suspicious attention. Lara assumed the machete was on Kurtis' person, and smirked with approval that it did not set off any alarm as they passed through the metal detectors.

_No doubt another of his diamond blades_, she thought with amusement, as she too passed through the detectors with no trouble.

"Perhaps you would like to get changed dear?" Kurtis suggested to her, as they passed through into a lounge. They had approximately an hour until their flight, having managed to book the seats from a few cancellations. Lara looked down at her ruined tee and shorts, stained in various places and ripped to scandalous proportions; she certainly could raise suspicion in her current attire. Kurtis' clothes were in similar shape, but the bundle of clothes in his hands revealed his intentions were similar to hers.

Without another word, Lara turned on her heel and left for the nearest toilets.

The stark cleanliness of the place surprised her, but she decided not to complain. Filling a sink full of hot water and dispensing soap into it, Lara cleaned herself as best as she could. The clean water felt heavenly on her parched skin, making her feel as if all the impurities of the past few days were being washed away. She freed her hair from the straggly braid it was currently tied up in, immersing her head in the soapy water whilst quickly running another tap to clean the hair as best as possible. An abandoned hair brush was quickly treated with the sanitiser soap provided and brushed through her long hair. Using the bandana, she quickly tied her hair out of her face casually, hoping that this would provide a slight bit of disguise as it was so far removed from her normal style.

Feeling content with her new found cleanliness, Lara inspected the clothes Kurtis had brought her. A white tank top was standard, with a sports bra thoughtfully provided. Tight fitting hot pants would prove the most comfortable in the jungle; the ones supplied being a deep green in colour. Kurtis had also provided a pea green gypsy skirt and matching bandana to cover up her outfit and make her appear more like the tourist she was supposed to be.

Locking herself in a cubicle, she quickly changed into the new clothes, bundling the soiled ones into a conveniently placed trash can in the spacious cubicle.

_The airport clearly likes to provide for their customers_, she thought amusedly.

Slipping on the socks and boots provided, Lara left feeling much fresher. Kurtis was waiting for her on her arrival, in a tank top and cargo shorts in similar shades of green. They looked exactly like the newlywed couple they were pretending to be.

They sat around in the lounge after that, Lara leaning into Kurtis' upper body to hold up their guise of being a newly wed couple. An arm protectively encircled her waist and held her secure against the American, causing her to smile slightly. Finally able to admit that being in this situation was not all that unpleasant, she took advantage of the opportunity it provided her to revel in Kurtis' warm presence.

Lara was curious as to what was in the hand luggage Kurtis had organised for them, but for once was able to relinquish control and trust his judgement.

…………………

The airplane was slightly crowded but Lara had been in worse conditions. She was currently occupying a window seat, eating the food provided on the flight without complaint, ready to conserve her energy, Kurtis next to her was doing the same. He had convinced her to raise the arm rest between then, allowing for her to sit flush with Kurtis' body. She had not protested much, finding the hand currently playing with her tresses comforting. The man sitting next to Kurtis had commented once on how adorable they were, prompting two strained smiles from the faux couple.

They were currently flying over the Amazon rainforest, and they were starting their descent over the treetops.

Suddenly, Kurtis grabbed her arm, pulling her up and out of the seat and dragging her towards the front of the plane. He held the two lots of hand luggage in his arms. They headed into the toilet, and he slammed the door behind them. Sniggers were audible from the rest of the passengers, no doubt thinking they would be committing acts no one should in a public place.

"Put this on," Kurtis said quickly, opening one of the bags to reveal the parachute he had purchased earlier. Smiling at his plan, she quickly tied one of the parachutes to herself, and watched as he did the same. The American quickly tied all of the equipment they had bought between them, prompting her to wonder what on earth was in their 'luggage' in the hold.

"You certainly have a lot of guts, Trent," Lara commented, as they exited the bathroom to the surprised look of the passengers. They were flying low enough to allow a safe jump from the plane, though landing would prove difficult in the forest.

Kurtis operated the hatch door on the side, throwing off a protesting staff member who quickly left to consult the pilot. Without acknowledging this, Kurtis simply grabbed his 'fiancée' and jumped off the plane.

_I may have to let him plan things more often_, Lara mused, relishing the feel of parachuting, feeling it had been entirely too long since she had partook in the sport.

Grinning widely, she activated the chute release at the same time as Kurtis' and enjoyed the gradual fall into the trees towards their next task.

……………………

Yay, new chapter in less than a week! I calculated how many chapter we have left to go, and I can safely say there are about 15 more to go, I'm hoping to get these up sooner than I have been updating, especially as I am soon to have another story complete.

Huge Thanks to my beta Lynsey who has helped me out recently :)

Any reviews/comments/emails are welcome as always.

M.P.


	27. Chapter TwentySix

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

"I presume you know where to take us?" Lara asked in question, as they finished setting up a flimsy tent as their camp for the night. Trent looked dubiously at their work, as if he was almost horrified that they had to sleep in it. Lara scoffed mentally at the sight, thinking of the long list of worse places she had slept in, though the worst would have to be the field she had occupied after her father had thrown her out of her house.

Sighing slightly at the memory, she watched Kurtis sit down upon a discarded bag, a map in hand, clearly ignoring her question.

"That's not a map of the Amazon," Lara noted as she walked behind the American, looking over his shoulder at a map of Australia, of all places.

"I could get us to the temple walking backwards with a blindfold," he replied wryly, folding the map and placing it back into his bag. "I am planning where we'll go after we defeat Karel."

Lara raised an eyebrow at his confidence in their abilities, but was deeply unnerved that Kurtis did not plan to go his own way once their mission was complete. She had assumed he would reinstate the Lux Veritatis, though he would have to have a child to teach the coveted skills to.

Kurtis scooted over slightly and motioned for Lara to sit next to him. She complied readily, allowing the warmth from the nearby fire to flood over her.

She gasped as a warm hand slid over hers, encasing it with a strong, yet caressing grip. She could feel the power beneath the skin, poised and ready to be used, yet she knew she was at no harm from the man, knowing he would never hurt her, physically at least.

"I care for you, Lara, as unemotional as I try to be. You have seeped through my defences and plagued my soul. And I have to tell you, once we have accomplished our mission, I will take you around the world and show you the things worth seeing."

Lara was slightly taken aback by his words and was sure her face reflected this shock. However, a rising sense of hope and satisfaction threatened to engulf her. She was pleased that she would see Kurtis again should they fulfill their objective.

"But I've already seen the world. Several times in fact," Lara answered, a playful smirk lessening the rejection of her words.

"Not with me."

With a knowing smirk, Kurtis let go of her hand and instead encircled her with his arm, pushing her into his side.

This type of closeness used to be foreign to Lara, but around Kurtis Trent her inhibitions had succumbed to his charm, allowing her to feel perfectly at ease in his embrace.

She stared at his eyes fixedly, conveying without words how strange she felt it was to be in the arms of someone who had once broken her trust. All those years ago, when she was only starting her profession, he had shown he could not be trusted, and she had cast him from her heart and thoughts. She used to see the world in black and white. Once trust had been lost, it was gone forever. Yet she found herself trusting this man with her very life. His conviction and determination were clear to see in his gaze.

The kiss was not unexpected and she had ample time to withdraw from the American, but the brunette decided to stay where she was, feigning ignorance. She knew Kurtis was not fooled; the smirk of his lips against hers was testament to that. Growling slightly, she grabbed the back of his neck in an aggressive grip and deepened the kiss, allowing Kurtis to push her down onto the forest floor.

The pleasure was too much for her body, one that was used to isolation and fleeting touches. Gasping, she pulled away, turning her head to one side, uncaring of the dirt that was crushing into her cheek. All she could hear was the flustered breathing of herself and feel the heavy beating of her heart. She was slightly aware of Kurtis nudging her neck, his lips placing kisses haphazardly along its pale surface.

Once her heartbeat had slowed and she felt more alert, she glanced over at her companion who had seated himself on a struck down tree log several metres away. She smiled slightly at his pensive figure, wondering if he had felt the electricity as much as she had.

…………………

Two days later, they were still hiking through the Amazon. The humidity and heat were unbearable, and Lara often found herself wiping her sweat covered forehead. Her determination was masking her physical discomfort; Kurtis no doubt feeling the same.

"How much further?" Lara gasped out as she collapsed against a nearby tree. She took a rationed sip from her water bottle, looking over at the tall man as she did so.

Kurtis had discarded his t shirt at the very beginning of their hike, finding it unnecessary in the constant heat. Lara had also ripped her top to expose her midriff and had tied her hair into a sweaty bun at the back of her head in a vain effort to cool herself down. She was used to being dirty and uncomfortable, unlike Kurtis, but it seemed he was soon learning the hard way.

"Just ahead - about a hundred yards."

Lara held steady for a minute, knowing their destination was close but wanting to conserve all the energy she had before entering the temple. Experience had taught her you needed to be prepared for everything when it came to exploring ancient buildings.

"It is a stronghold more than anything, not a temple as such. There are many traps which you could fall prey too, but all Lux Veritatis members are taught how to overcome them, in case the shard should be needed."

Lara nodded thoughtfully, briefly thinking Kurtis knew her too well to answer her unasked question. Knowing it was not a temple reassured her slightly; places of worship seemed to have the heaviest guarding of all.

"The shard is held at an altar of some sorts to my knowledge, and has to be extracted in a precise way."

Lara almost rolled her eyes at the ominous cautioning. Nothing was ever simple and she knew there would be something that would hinder their progress.

"Or?" Lara prompted, her hazel eyes fixing onto Kurtis' icy blue gaze.

"To put it bluntly, we die."

"Spiffing," Lara muttered, heaving herself from her resting place.

They continued on in silence, both aware of their muscles screaming in protest. Eventually they came to a small lake situated in the middle of the forest floor, which looked quite inconspicuous.

"I do hope your swimming skills are as good as I remember," Kurtis commented, a smirk adding a teasing nature to his words.

Lara merely raised an eyebrow, thinking back to the countless times she had been required to almost drown herself.

"Much better than yours," she responded, and proceeded to jump into the small pool. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the clear water, allowing her to see a stone structure of some description about ten metres below her. It no doubt led to a tunnel.

Kurtis had jumped in straight after her and immediately started to swim to the structure she had noticed. After refreshing her air supply she followed, wishing she had time to look at the unique carvings on the stones.

The tunnel following was fairly short and led to a slowly ascending ramp that guided them to the surface. The swim was relatively short by her standards, allowing a sense of enjoyment to overcome her. The water had washed away the strain of their hike and the sweat from their bodies.

Breaking the water, she swam over to a ledge on which Kurtis was standing. They were in a cave, with no decoration or any indication that it was the entrance to a Lux Veritatis stronghold.

Kurtis was currently drinking the water from his cupped hands, occasionally using it to wash himself of any impurities remaining. A pointed look suggested to her that she should do the same. The water was cool and refreshing to drink and soothed her partially parched throat. A brief wash followed, mainly focused on her lank hair.

"The entrance is behind the stone we are standing on. It requires another swim I am afraid, this one much longer."

Lara tried to hide her confusion at his words. The ledge looked connected to the wall and a brief scan showed no hinge or crevice that could be used to move the object.

Smiling slightly at her confusion, Kurtis pushed an extremely small stone that protruded from the wall, activating a mechanism that caused the stone they were standing on to retract into the wall. They both jumped back into the water, watching the stone push itself into the wall and fall into a slot, revealing a narrow entrance to another tunnel.

They entered it quickly, both unsure as to how long the opening would allow them to pass. This tunnel was longer, and her lungs were starting to ache with the strain that was being inflicted on them. Towards the end of the tunnel, Kurtis turned left into an even narrower one, pulling her arm as he did so to ensure she followed him.

Lara forced down her feelings of panic as no air supply became available. One look at Kurtis as they propelled themselves along showed he was struggling as well. Lara estimated she had about a minute before she blacked out from lack of oxygen.

Without warning, Kurtis yanked her arm upwards and pulled her through a small hole. The room they swam into was of red marble, the precise stone showing various carvings encrusted with jewels. The surface of the water was about twenty metres above them, urging them to swim faster.

The first gulp of air as she broke the surface almost burned her lungs. She weakly grabbed onto the wall, her fingers digging into the carved grooves as she attempted to control her breathing. The air was cold and clear and created goose bumps on her exposed skin.

A look to her left assured her that Kurtis was alive and was savouring the air as much as she was.

"Welcome to the stronghold," Kurtis managed to say, in-between heavy panting.

Lara glanced at the entrance to a lit passageway on the opposite wall. Beams of light permeated from a worn ceiling, illuminating the dark stone that showed the battered visages of important members of the Lux Veritatis.

After several minutes they both swam over to the entranceway and clambered onto the dry land, both immediately collapsing onto the floor in exhaustion.

A warm hand sought out hers as they rested, one she gripped with fervour, trying to ignore the building pressure she felt of accomplishing their mission once and for all.

………………..

Sorry this took a while to post, I've just got a new laptop and had to transfer files over and the like, which is very boring and time consuming.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it turned out to be much longer than I anticipated.

QUESTION: Shall I do some chapters form Kurtis' POV? It would be interesting I think or should I perhaps do another story eventually concentrating on his past (as Lara's is the main feature in this one).

Any emails/reviews/messages etc. are very welcome

Until next time,

M.P


	28. Chapter TwentySeven

Well, yes, I know, it has been ages. Too long, far too long, But as bad as it sounds it isn't the longest gap I have had in updating. This fic will get finished, somehow, someday, but it is going to be done! I think I got in a bit over my head!

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

She blinked groggily, the dark room slowly coming back into focus. Her eyes fixed upon the almost hypnotic swinging of the light fixture above her, the chain holding the lantern being moved by a breath of a wind. Her eyes then descended to the walls of the fairly small chamber they found themselves in. Faces had been carved into the stone, framed by embossed words in a long lost language, one she could only decipher a few words of; it was similar to Latin. The room had an almost holy atmosphere, as if they were trespassing on the final resting place of a deity that had been neglected by the history and religious texts she had spent most of her life poring over.

As much as the archaeologist in her wanted to uncover the myths the forgotten words could tell her, she had to focus on the task at hand.

_Maybe Kurtis will tell me the entire history of this cult one day_, she thought whimsically.

With a slight groan, the brunette sat up, only then noticing that her hand was still linked with Kurtis'. They had not been asleep long, as her clothes still clung to her in their soaked state, but long enough for the screaming pain in her muscles to turn into a dull yet bearable ache. Sighing slightly, she dislodged their interlocked hands and pushed herself up from the floor, stretching her tight muscles in an attempt to prepare herself for the challenge ahead.

She studied the room around her, taking note of the now-sealed entranceway and the various ledges that surrounded it. She concluded that there was a device on the floor that was sensitive to weight, which meant their arrival triggered the door to seal - it would not be the first time such a device had hampered her progress. There were various ledges around the door that ascended into the higher reaches of the room.

She spared one last glance at a still-sleeping Kurtis and decided to spare him of this one task, knowing he was still exhausted from having to navigate their way to the forgotten stronghold.

She relished the strain in her muscles as she deftly climbed the various ledges. Each leap upwards seemed to free some of the stress of the last few days and remind her why this was the lifestyle she loved. This felt a part of her, as if her body was designed to be pushed to its limit and then some, as if some divine being had chosen her as one who would uncover the secrets of the ancient world and share them with the living, so that mistakes could be learned from and rectified.

The slightly romantic vision of her line of work had kept her focused and determined through a difficult period of her life - right after she had met Kurtis again - and had prevented her from succumbing to a life of complete darkness. She once fashioned herself as an angel of the dark, a lone figure that would obliterate any obstacles that dared cross her path, one that would destroy anyone who prevented her from reaching her goals. Kurtis' re-emergence in her life had changed this somewhat bleak outlook of her life, and despite his assurances she felt indebted to him because of it.

When she reached the top ledge, her mind still reeling from her promises to Kurtis, she peered down at the strong figure who was starting to awake from the much-needed sleep he had descended into. Knowing her time was limited, she quickly surveyed the upper levels of the room, hoping to clear the path before he awoke and found her gone.

Though the room was not very tall, it domed towards the centre with carved stars simulating a night sky on the sloping ceiling. A single light fixture hung from a tiny hole in the ceiling that led to a tiny room above. Almost thankful for a more complicated manoeuvre, Lara leapt from the precipice she was standing on and grabbed the light fixture, quickly ascending the thick chain that supported its weight. The small room above housed a single switch linked to a weight device on the far wall. With a smirk of triumph, she pulled the rusty lever down and watched as a stone was lifted from a platform and was roughly moved onto another. The creaking noise below alerted her to the fact their pathway was now clear, and despite wanting to study the clever device in more detail, she descended once more down the light fixture.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins from her acrobatics and convinced her that climbing the safe way down would almost detract from the style she had associated herself with. So, with a flourish, she dived into the pool of water that had brought them to the room, smirking as she noted a sleep deprived American gaping at her from the corner of her eye. The sting of the water as it hit her skin was almost pleasant, and the coolness it offered soothed and awakened her body from the strain it had just been placed under.

With regret she climbed out of the pool, smiling innocently at a stretching Kurtis who looked slightly put out that she had solved one of the puzzles his ancestors had built without a problem.

"Damn British," he mumbled, as he grabbed her wet arm and led her down the once-again open entranceway.

The stronghold had a muggy feel to it that only intensified as they climbed a steep hill that the passage had led them to. Lara was glad she had already ripped her clothes to a barely modest standard to protect her from the heat, yet to Kurtis' credit he had not once taken advantage of her improper state. He clearly recognised the need for comfort over social decorum, which was obvious by the fact he modelled only a pair of shorts and strong boots.

"There are many routes to the central room, but we're going to take the quickest. It isn't the safest, but you seem like the kind of girl who likes a thrilling ride."

Ignoring the sexual connotations of his words, Lara offered a smirk to the challenge and just continued to follow the cocky American.

His blue eyes glinted mischievously at her as they stopped at the top of the slope. Two alcoves stood at either side of the ramp, each housing a wall lamp that illuminated the hewn walls in a flickering light. Kurtis approached the left alcove and grasped the light fixture in his hand, turning it sharply to the right.

Lara watched in amusement as the wall slid back and revealed an opening.

"It reminds me of the secret room back at the Manor," she explained to a disgruntled Kurtis.

"Your manor does not hold good memories for me," he mentioned simply.

Lara winced at the reference to their past and her discovery of his mercenary work, but she felt compelled to offer a comforting hand on the shoulder.

"That is in the past, this is the present. Stop being a fool and show me the way to go," Lara muttered, thankful for the small smile that alighted upon his face at her words.

The smile was still on his face as he once again latched onto her arm and pulled her into the dark entrance. A small gasp left her as the floor seemed to vanish beneath their feet. Kurtis' laughing alerted her to the fact that this method of travel was planned and safe yet she still felt rather shocked by the audacity of it, and promised she would push him into some sort of river at a later date in revenge.

Her back collided with a slide rather painfully after a moment of falling, which eventually propelled them into the wall of a rather dank room.

She could feel the sting of cuts on her back as she attempted to stand after the short ride, and one glance over at Kurtis ensured he was in the same dishevelled state as her.

"Next time, we take the stairs," Lara muttered, as she followed Kurtis out of the bleak room and into a large cavern.

The stonework in the cavern was a lot rougher then that she had seen so far. Clearly, this part of the complex was not supposed to be seen very often, and therefore made her question the necessity of their arrival. Though she trusted Kurtis completely, she found it was rather dangerous to avoid the traps along the preferred route, just in case a hasty exit was needed.

She decided not to voice these concerns with Kurtis, but turned her attention to another large pool that dominated most of the floor. She noted with concern that the water had a strange hue, making her doubt the safety of the obvious route.

Kurtis nodded with approval as she headed towards a narrow ledge she had spotted hanging over the edge of the dangerous pool, and headed towards an identical platform on the opposite side of the trap.

"Race for it, Croft?"

"There is no contest, Trent."

Lara traversed the edges with skill and precision, never missing a beat or losing her footing, her years of experience teaching her which were the ledges to avoid and which ones would crumble under her weight. The journey was not difficult, but required a momentum to make the jumps possible. Her body was trained for this type of work, and she could not help but be concerned for Kurtis, whose larger frame would put him at a disadvantage.

Yet, as she flipped onto a central platform that was clearly their destination, Lara was shocked by the smirking figure of Kurtis waiting for her.

"Women _always _miss the rope," he stated, smirking as he pointed to a long rope that was swinging slightly over the pool. He left her feeling indignant as he headed towards the new avenue open to them, and after a few moments of self depreciating comments flowing through her mind, she resignedly followed the gloating American.

They did not speak as they travelled down the fairly short corridor, with both of them trying to conceal the heavy breathing their exertions had prompted.

As their breathing slowed they entered another room that turned out to be a long shaft heading upwards. The small niches on the walls resigned her to the fact they would be climbing back up to the level required this way.

As she stood contemplating her fate, she noted Kurtis moving towards a conspicuous plate on the floor, which he promptly pressed with his foot. A loud noise from above provided a familiar feeling of foreboding, and she knew that this would not be as easy as it initially looked without even gazing upwards.

"Spikes. Nice," Kurtis muttered, pointing above them where what could only be described as wheels of spikes glided effortlessly across the shaft, providing them with an example of one of the many grisly deaths that could be the result of this feat.

Wordlessly, they looked at each other, wishing each other luck in a game that could end in their demise. Comparing dangerous acts to a game had always helped the brunette, as if believing that the realities were not applicable to her would make them more distant and allow her to remain unscathed throughout all of her journeys.

They started to climb quickly, passing the ten foot mark before the first wheel caused them to stop. A timed jump upwards was needed from the ledge their fingers had caught to one about five feet above, which would have to be immediately vaulted from to clear them safely of the trap. Feeling the strain in her muscles building, Lara slipped into a state where she was only aware of the grinding of the mechanism and the steady thumping of her heart. She waited for the precise moment needed before pushing herself upwards from the wall, her fingers barely grazing the ledge above before she vaulted again, successfully clearing the trap.

She did not wait to see if Kurtis had followed her, but continued to climb, knowing her arm muscles could not afford the delay. The next few traps were defeated in much the same way, with the occasional grunt from Kurtis alerting her to the fact he was alive and well.

Eventually, she could see a light pouring in from the exit of the deadly shaft. And with a rush of adrenaline, she climbed further, passing the last and final trap too quickly to get a sure footing.

Only one of her hands had grabbed the exit ledge, and due to the stress she had placed on her body she felt almost unable to lift herself up. The climb had taken mere minutes yet it felt a lifetime to her battered body, one which had not been pushed to this limit in a long time. She cursed herself for falling out of shape even this little bit, as it could now be responsible for her death.

Her eyes fluttered shut as the strain on her arm grew, making it feel as if it would tear in two at any moment.

She gasped slightly as her arm finally gave up its fight and allowed her to slip from the edge. A firm hand tightened around her slim wrist almost immediately after she had slipped from the ledge, and with a superior strength, she was lifted from danger and placed onto the elusive exit gently.

With a soft smile she opened her eyes, expecting to see the handsome American she had come to appreciate almost as much as her craft. However, she found herself staring into the steely gaze of someone she knew too well for her own liking.

"Karel, you do have a habit of appearing in the most undesirable circumstances," she muttered, hoisting herself from the marble floor with great difficulty, but determined to not appear weak to her foe.

Her dark eyes noted a bleeding Kurtis on the floor to her right, being guarded by two unidentifiable goons that had clearly beaten him into submission. She swallowed her worry about her companion and turned back to Karel.

It was then she noted the two shards tucked safely into his belt, giving her confirmation that he had not only raided the stronghold they were in, but had pillaged the final destination ahead of the twosome.

"Give it to me, Miss Croft. We need not play games."

Sighing in defeat, Lara withdrew the glittering shard from her backpack and tossed it to her enemy, her stomach contorting painfully at the action. She knew that Kurtis and herself would be doomed should she try to escape, and even if she did manage she would somehow need to take them back from the blonde, and that seemed an impossible task without the knowledge of her American partner.

Karel's sinister smile intensified as he held the last piece of the puzzle in his hands, before placing it carefully with the others.

"Throw them down the shaft."

Lara's mind was still reeling from the encounter as Karel walked away down an unfamiliar tunnel. Logic would suggest that he would destroy the shards, as they were the only threat to his existence. The fact they remained safely in his belt spoke volumes to Lara.

He needed them.

As one of the goons approached her, she had to admire Karel's gall. He clearly did not want them dead, otherwise he would have stayed and watched the proceedings, which also meant he needed them, or more specifically Kurtis, she assumed.

With practiced ease, she lifted a pistol and shot at the 'hired help' before they had a chance to place their brawny hands on her frame. Grimacing slightly at the extending red stain on the pristine white floor, she holstered her weapon and ran over to Kurtis, who was now leaning against the wall, blood streaming from his nose, clutching a painful-looking bruise that was blossoming at his rib cage. She knew he was not seriously injured, and that the surprise attack after the long climb would have made him an easy target, yet the anger at seeing him hurt was not diminished by this realisation.

"He has the shards," she stated simply, as his warm blue eyes connected with her hazel ones.

Kurtis nodded, looking perturbed at the turn of events.

"He needs them for something, and he needs us as well," Lara continued, only to receive another nod from the American.

She watched carefully as he stood up, wincing in pain as his damaged torso was stretched.

"Well, let's not keep him waiting then."

Woo! An extra long chapter as an apology. Hopefully you guys can see that there is an end in sight now, and that things are starting to fit together. The next chapter will reveal more, and will descend the story into its final act so to speak. (About time as well!).

A huge, massive thanks to my beta Linzi, who has to deal with reading through the crap I produce and pointing out what really makes no sense whatsoever :D

Thanks for taking the time to read, and please let me know what you thought :) Emails/reviews/forum topics/telepathy transmitted comments are all welcome :D

Don't worry, the next update won't be four months, be on the lookout for one at the maximum a month away, but hopefully sooner.

Thanks again!

M.P.


	29. Chapter TwentyEight

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

Lara grunted and struggled with the weight she supported. Kurtis had splayed an arm across her shoulder as she attempted to lead them out of the complex. She knew Kurtis was in no immediate danger, but she did not want to risk him injuring himself further and had therefore demanded to help him out of the stronghold.

"There is an exit to the left," Kurtis mumbled, as they moved their way through the stone corridor. "It avoids swimming, but it's timed."

Lara sighed in relief, thankful she would not have to pull Kurtis' extra weight along the winding passages that brought them here.

The exit was a relatively simple device, a small indentation in the wall, that when pushed, prompted a stone to slide out the wall and allow them to pass through. She hurried through at a quick pace, the narrow passageway making it difficult for them to walk through. Cobwebs hung from the low ceiling, clinging to their faces unpleasantly.

The exit to the outside could easily be seen as they made their way through the relatively small tunnel, with sunlight pouring in from the jungle.

"Quickly, before the door seals and we are stuck in this tunnel until we die," Kurtis muttered, pulling himself from her grasp and limping forward at a faster rate.

"Or until the air runs out," Lara replied, following the American and matching his speedier pace.

The grinding of stone on stone alerted her to the sealing of their exit, so with a quick burst of energy she had miraculously stored, Lara shoved both herself and her companion out into the open air.

She let out a gasp of surprise when instead feeling the compacted earth of the jungle, her foot had plunged into cool water. An arm had been flung up over her eyes, as the dusk sunlight seemed harsh after their time in the stronghold. Kurtis splashed onto the ground next to her, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as the water licked over his wounds.

Once her eyes had adjusted to the light, the brunette cast their gaze around the surrounding area. After seeing nothing but the delicate water and the trees at its bank, she finally let herself relax.

"That was less than successful," she declared in an off-handed manner to her companion as she hooked her back pack over a protruding stone from the stronghold wall.

With a sigh, she slipped into the water, shedding her clothes as she swam deeper.

"There has to be something we are missing about the shards. Logic would mean smashing them right away, and killing us," Kurtis mentioned, joining her in the deeper water.

Lara made an uncommitted noise, preferring to focus on the strain leaving her muscles as the water cleaned her skin.

"What is with the Brits and baths?" Kurtis commented, earning a shove from Lara.

"My father used to tell me, if you concentrated hard enough and were willing to wait, you could feel your worries melt away from you and into the water. It was just a ploy so he could catch me unawares to wash my hair, but it sounds nice all the same," Lara said casually, with a soft smile at the memory.

"Well, this will not do, we need to get to out of here, unless Karel and his men come back," Kurtis mentioned, heading to the shallower part where they had left their things.

Reluctantly, Lara followed, pulling a new tank and shorts out of her bag. She noted the incredulous look Kurtis gave her as she slipped on the fresh clothes.

"Ladies always have a spare set of clothes," Lara stated, echoing her etiquette lessons that she received as a child.

Kurtis was eyeing his bloody tee with disdain as Lara threw him a spare tank she had got for him. He caught it was a smile, slipping it on gratefully over his freshly bandaged wounds.

"I hope you are not trying to turn me into an aristocrat," Kurtis mumbled.

Lara was about to shoot back a scathing reply, when she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Lara, I am surprised at you! Flirting when there is work to be done, your father would have a field day if he saw this!"

The brunette spun around, where a tall African woman was standing on the bank of the small pool, a yellow jeep visible in the background.

"Anya!"

Kurtis raised an eyebrow as Lara hastily clambered her way over to her long time friend, and embrace her.

Anya looked the same as she always had done, which was strangely comforting to her. In the ten years they had known each other, Lara could rely on Anya to stay constant, which was a trait she admired, especially after the darkness she had overcome.

"Fancy a lift?" Anya said, smirking as she gestured towards her jeep.

"I would kill for one, come on American boy!" Lara replied, showing a quick smile of thanks as she jumped into the backseat, leaving Kurtis to collect their things before he could join her.

"This one is well trained, I see," Anya mentioned as she pulled away, with the two exchanging smirks.

"So, you guys have known each other a while?" Kurtis queried, after remaining silent as the two women caught up.

"Long enough to know she fancies your American ass!" Anya quickly replied, earning a glare from the brunette.

The rest of the trip was spent catching Anya up on their trip, and the accompanied threats and problems they had encountered thus far. She listened attentively, occasionally inputting an opinion to their predicaments. The sun had gone down by the time the trees were thinning and just as it had dipped behind the horizon, a camp fire was visible in the distance.

"So, welcome to my humble abode" Anya stated as they arrived in a small village, clambering out of the parked jeep. Anya ushered them past the confused looks of the locals who had emerged from various corners of the small village and led them to a building that was best described as a shack.

One 'room' of the place held a large generator unit that gave the place electricity, whilst the main room held a rickety desk supporting a computer and various books. An unmade bed was standing dishevelled next to a small wash basin, to which Anya moved to, filling a small kettle and resting it on a hot plate. They were careful not to step on the various extension cords that trailed over the floor like vines, leading to the generator.

"Well, it's nice to finally see the perks of a civil engineer!" Kurtis said cheerfully, flinging himself on the bed. Anya simply smacked him over the head, as she grabbed a nearby medical kit.

"Keep staying stuff like that boy and I may just leave your wounds to get infected."

Lara mostly ignored the interchange, instead opting to scour through the books Anya kept. Noticing this, Anya hustled over, leaving Kurtis to clean himself up.

"I think this one may help you get your bad guy," Anya mentioned, picking up one of the heavier ones.

Glancing at the cover, Lara gave her friend an incredulous look.

"What are we going to do? Preach him to death with bible stories?"

"No, Lara, honestly, I would've thought you would be better than that. Did you even think about why the shards were built?" Anya prompted.

Lara's mouth almost dropped in surprise. Any good researcher would look into a subject deeply; something's purpose may often be different from its intention and capabilities.

"They are weapons of the light, to protect humanity. We just haven't worked out the schematics yet," Kurtis injected, coming up behind them to join the conversation. "To defeat the Nephilim."

"Who were?" Anya prompted again, folding her arms and leaning on the rickety desk.

"The Sons of God," Lara whispered. "It's believed they were the sons of fallen angels and humankind, a hybrid race, which were intended to be wiped out by the flood."

"Someone went to Sunday school," Kurtis joked, choking out a laugh that fell deaf on Lara's ears. It finally seemed as if her brain was working, after being clouded by her confusion surrounding Kurtis and the memories of her past, her mind was finally clear to be able to do what it was fully capable of.

"However, there were rumours, even addressed in the bible that the flood didn't wipe them all out. And as protectors of the truth and light, the Lux Veritatis would want to make or build something that could eliminate them once and for all."

Kurtis seemed impressed with Lara's speech, whilst Anya looked almost bored, and started to fiddle with a paperweight on her crowded desk.

"So, that's what the shards were built for. We already knew that," Kurtis added, trying to keep up with Lara's racing mind.

"We did," Lara conceded, "But not in this context. This changes everything. If your ancestors were concerned over a threat in the bible, it makes sense that they would use it as a tool to combat such a threat."

Kurtis nodded thoughtfully, whilst Anya sighed, clearly having thought all of this before.

"It's not that complicated Lara. They are the offspring of those banished from heaven. Their very being is against the values of heaven and of judgement. The most logical way to defeat them is to reintroduce them to the concepts that banished the in the first place."

Anya finished her speech with a small smirk.

"You would be stupid if you didn't think I know what you are up to Lara. And do you really think this Karel guy could enter the country I'm working in without me knowing? Lara you mock my intelligence."

Kurtis glanced at Anya, the dim light barely showing the confusion in his eyes.

"What kind of civil engineer are you?" He asked, taking a step away from her.

"The same kind of aristocrat Lara is," She replied, exchanging a knowing glance with Lara. "Now, can you tell me, are there are commandments, or mottos that were drummed into Lux Veritatis members?"

It was now Kurtis' turn to look enlightened with new knowledge.

"There were three values we were constantly reminded of. Strength, empathy and love. We were told they were the values that would make us the best warriors we could be."

"And those are your shards," Anya said with a satisfied smile.

"And the way to defeat Karel," Lara mentioned, slumping with relief onto the desk, which promptly disintegrated under the weight of the two women.

Dusting herself off, with a mournful look at the ruined desk, Anya walked over to the kettle, which had just announced it was at temperature with a piercing whistle.

"Anyone for tea?"

...

Eeek. Nine months. I'm awful. To be fair, I have had uni and stuff. This only took me a day to write though, once I managed to find the time for it. The next (and last) chapter is planned, and I plan to finish it soon, but I won't make any promises!

Any feedback would be lovely. Your comments keep me motivated guys :D And you are the only reason I haven't given up completely!

Until Next time,

x


	30. Chapter TwentyNine

**A/N: **It gets a bit gory later on, earning its R rating, nothing too bad, as long as you aren't squeamish.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

The hazy sunlight pierced through the window of the building Anya called home, letting Lara know morning had arrived. She had an uneasy night sleep, with her brain not being able to stop thinking about the new avenues their theory had given them.

_Something about it though just doesn't quite add up, _she thought to herself as she slipped out of the bed she had shared with Anya, Kurtis, in an uncharacteristic display of gentlemanly behaviour, insisted on sleeping on a few pillows in the corner of the room.

It would seem obvious that Karel knew what the shards were for, since he was hasty to collect them away from the twosome, however, logic would assume he would destroy them, as they were the only known way of killing him, which led Lara to think he wanted them for something.

Brushing it aside for the time being, Lara washed quickly with the cloth and basin and dressed in some borrowed clothes from Anya. She was making tea as the other two arose from their slumber.

"Good morning sleepyheads, I suggest you get yourselves together quickly, we have a long day ahead of us," Lara suggested, as Kurtis rubbed his eyes sleepily.

After a simple breakfast, Anya had been sent to book them a flight to Turkey. Lara had wanted to question Kurtis' judgement on this. He insisted that this would be where Karel would go, and she decided to bite the bullet and trust his decision. Kurtis had left to do some exercising just outside of the village, leaving Lara to her thoughts.

She stepped out of the simple shelter, hoping that the brisk air would clear her mind and allow her to think. She was almost immediately swamped by the local children, all of them chatting a mile a minute in their native tongue, as the prodded the newcomer. She allowed herself to smile at their innocence, which quickly flashed to a grimace as one of them pulled her long braid exceptionally hard. The children quickly dragged her over to a clearing in the middle of several huts, where some other children were playing with a skipping rope.

Lara was expertly shoved into the middle of the rope, and out of practiced habit, started to jump, to the cheers of the children. After several normal jumps, she decided to give the children somewhat of a show, and performed some handsprings and flips, to the amazement of the children.

Eventually, she stopped, laughing and dodged out of the way as the children immediately started trying to imitate her on the rope.

The brunette turned to head back to Anya's shelter, still laughing when she abruptly 

bumped into Kurtis.

"Well, who would've thought that the infamous Ms. Croft would be good with kids?" He commented in his American drawl.

She looked up into his eyes, which were sparkling in amusement. Not able to think of a reply, she simply shrugged and fell into step beside Kurtis as they headed back, passing the bemused mothers of the children.

"I can see why you would do it though," Kurtis added seriously, "It's almost as if by being around them you can absorb part of their innocence."

Lara halted in her step, causing a confused Kurtis to raise an eyebrow at her.

Unashamedly, she pecked his lips and ran up to Anya's.

"You, Mr. Trent, are a genius," she yelled over her shoulder.

...

"That's so crazy it just might be true," Kurtis stated, looking at Lara as if she was currently sporting two heads.

Anya nodded thoughtfully, leaning back onto the newly repaired desk in her shelter.

"Think about it. The shards' purpose is to transport the energy of those emotions into Karel at a high intensity, but if he is able to get those emotions into the shards he could somehow use them to his advantage," Lara insisted, pacing around the room.

"Look, we all know the qualities of love, empathy and strength help you get into heaven, to put it bluntly, they are qualities of a good person. So maybe he could use them as a tool to re-ascend to heaven, and reverse his races' banishing. And if I'm honest I would rather not think of the damage he could do up there."

It all made perfect sense to Lara, but she could tell she was not quite getting her point across accurately, which was often the way when she felt she had come across a revelation.

"I don't see how he would get these... emotions, for a lack of a batter word, into the shards," Anya inputted, folding her arms whilst looking at Lara thoughtfully.

"Sacrifice," Lara stated simply. "I know it sounds crazy, but it makes sense. It explains why he didn't destroy the shards, or us. He needs us to so he can get back to heaven."

The brunette looked at both of her companions in earnest, hoping she had managed to convince them that her crazy idea may just be reality.

"So, you are saying Karel is basically some weird soul sucking vampire guy?" Kurtis 

questioned, smirking at Lara.

She couldn't help but smile back, "Basically."

Sighing, Anya threw her arms in the air, "Well, it sounds crazy, but no more crazy than the Nephilim or anything else we've come across so far."

With a sigh of relief, Lara collapsed on the bed, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"When did you say we flew out?" She questioned, looking exhausted.

"Tomorrow."

...

Lara awoke sometime later to feel someone run their fingers through her loose hair. Turning, she fixed her gaze at Kurtis, who made no move to take his hand back.

"Where's Anya?" Lara questioned, her voice still clouded with sleep.

"She had to go help out in the village, something about a childbirth," Kurtis replied, moving his hand to stroke her cheek.

Lara merely nodded, allowing Kurtis to touch her. Both of their minds were focused on the task ahead. They had discussed the idea of ridding the world of Karel for so long, but it never seemed a reality. She almost dared to hope there may be a life after it.

"Don't think about that, just think about today," Kurtis mentioned, as if reading her thoughts.

Lara nodded, slowly falling back to sleep in Kurtis' arms.

...

Lara had almost forgotten the heat of Turkey, which had hit her as soon as she stepped off the plane. _Another day, another country, _she thought with a sigh. She was beginning to miss the manor, and the simplicity of life there, something she never thought she would say. A long hiatus after this trip was what she craved for, where the only thing she would have to worry about is what to eat for breakfast.

Anya and Kurtis looked similarly weary as they all piled into a taxi with their luggage. They had agreed to be as conspicuous as possible, hoping that Karel's henchmen would find them and take them to him, rather than having to search the rather large catacombs.

The hotel they had booked was non-descript, with white walls and similarly pale furniture, however it was comfortable.

"I suggest we wait until tomorrow, he may find us beforehand, and if he doesn't, well at least we will be well rested," Anya stated in the hotel lobby, before departing to her room after seeing their nods.

Lara climbed the long stairway to her room without complaint, grateful for the exercise after the plane ride and the subsequent taxi journey. Kurtis was in the room adjacent to her own, whilst Anya was two floors below them. Lara brushed aside the concern for her friend, knowing that she was fully capable of keeping herself safe, yet a nagging part of her wished they could be all together.

They muttered a goodbye to each other as they reached their rooms, after which Lara promptly ran to the tiny bathroom to indulge in a shower. She was towel drying her hair as she heard a knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" Kurtis asked, his voice muffled through the door.

Lara unlocked the wooden door, allowing Kurtis to enter. She noticed the American had taken advantage of the shower facilities too.

She motioned to the lone chair in the hotel room, as she sat on the bed, braiding her hair back to its usual style.

"You know about Cappadocia?" Kurtis asked casually, as he played with his Chirugai blade.

Lara rolled her eyes, as she looked at Kurtis. "What kind of archeologist do you take me for?" She commented in way of a response.

"Well then I will assume you know that the Kaymaklı Underground City was once a Nephilim stronghold." Kurtis stated, causing Lara to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, it makes considerable more sense why we are here then. And it also makes perfectly clear where we should be heading tomorrow."

Lara's comment was nonchalant, disguising her turning mind. The location of the Nephilim stronghold brought another risk to their mission; tourists. The Cappadocia region was a desirable attraction to tourists, due to its historical and cultural content, though Lara did not believe for one second that those who visited it truly recognised its beauty.

"We will have to leave in the early hours then," Lara commented, to which Kurtis nodded. They would have to be in the area way before tourists started to gather, and hopefully it would all be over before they arrived.

"I will go and let Anya know," Kurtis said, rising from his seat. "And try not to worry okay, we will get through this."

He kissed her forehead as he left, leaving Lara to lie down on her bed and contemplate the task ahead of her.

...

Lara arose about two hours before they were due to meet, and spent the time stretching her muscles and doing some brief exercises in an attempt to get ready for the daunting task ahead of her. _Not that you can really prepare for a Nephilim battle, _she thought.

After a quick shower, she threw on a light blue tank and brown shorts. She loaded herself with ammo for her twin pistols, deciding against bringing other guns, her pistols had got her through many tight situations before, and she hoped that their luck would out. She however, slid a knife into her sock, just in case things got a bit more intimate.

They met in the lobby at three in the morning, their faces tense with nervousness. Kurtis had managed to borrow a car, though Lara was pretty sure it was more stealing than authorised lending. The ride to the catacombs was tense, and Lara could not remember being this nervous before.

"Come on guys, let's pull it together. We look like we are heading to our own funerals," Lara stated, with a fake smile on her face.

The fact they probably were heading to their demise was left unmentioned.

...

The catacombs were dark and claustrophobic, at least they would be to anyone but Lara. She could give a list of worse places to visit, but kept her comments to herself, once seeing Anya's discomfort.

Lara ignored the archeological itch inside her to study this fascinating place. The underground city was truly spectacular, and although it was not the first one she had been to, it was certainly the largest.

Kurtis led them diligently through the catacombs, never once hesitating in the direction they were heading. Lara didn't think to question why he knew where they were going. Her trust for the American had crept up on her slowly, but she knew that she was confident in his abilities.

"This way," He whispered, as he palmed a small rock protruding from one of the walls in the winding catacombs. A section of the wall slid back to reveal a steep slope into darkness.

He jumped onto the slope, using a torch as his guide. Anya looked at Lara with uncertainty splayed across her features, before she shrugged in consent and carefully followed after the American. Lara waited five seconds to give Anya enough time to slide some of the way before leaping into the closing doorway and following the other two.

Without a torch to guide her, the trip was almost suffocating in its darkness, however, 

she squashed out any small fears she had, and just concentrated on her keeping her balance.

Lara hit the floor with a resounding thud, just managing to stay on her feet. There was little light in the room, yet she could see the outlines of Kurtis and Anya, who were both lifting themselves off the floor.

"Well, trust the tomb raider to land on her feet," Kurtis mumbled, brushing dust from his clothing, earning a smirk from Lara.

She gave an intriguing look to Kurtis, who unclipped something from his belt to rest on the floor. The object made an distinct metallic sound as it clipped the rough, hewn stone of the floor, piquing Lara's interest.

"This way," Kurtis instructed, having withdrawn a torch from his backpack to light their way, not mentioning his strange actions.

Shrugging away her curiousity, Lara followed.

The threesome moved through the dingy passages speedily, with the only sounds coming when their feet slipped on the uneven ground. Lara was lost in her own thoughts when Kurtis abruptly put his arm out to stop her, causing Anya to bump into her back.

"What the..?" She questioned, with a raised eyebrow at the American, who only hushed her with his hands. She turned to look at Anya who wore an identical confused look, before she heard it.

The unmistakable sound of chanting.

The individual words could not be heard, however there was no mistaking the melodic sounds that were vibrating through the catacombs. The quietness of the chants assured them they were reasonably far away from their origin, but it was close enough to give Lara a feeling of foreboding.

After a few more moments of listening, they carried on, the noise becoming louder with each step they took.

"Remember, we can't win, not without the shards, so the best thing to do is let ourselves be captured. They need us," Kurtis reassured her, though his words had the opposite effect than what he intended.

"We need to make sure they don't know that, we should spilt up into separate directions, make it look like we are trying to be covert," Lara mentioned, as she stepped over a protruding stone and flashed a light at it so Anya would know it was there.

Kurtis made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat.

"The tunnel ahead splits into a three separate passages, all lead to the main 

stronghold and all of them will be patrolled. Try to act like you don't want to get caught."

Lara nodded grimly, _I have spent my life running away from problems, not running to them, _she thought ironically as they reached the fork in the passage.

"See you guys on the other side," Lara whispered, barely being heard over the chanting, which was unfathomable to her, no doubt a lost Nephilim dialect.

Lara briskly walked into the passage, switching her flashlight off. She paused for a few moments to allow her eyes to adjust to any light in the passageway, however the darkness just become more oppressive and complete. With an almost inaudible sigh, she brushed her hand against the wall of the passage and used it to guide her way.

She followed the passage for what seemed like an eternity, with the only sounds being her slow breathing and muffled footsteps. The air was thick, which made it hard to breathe, however she persevered on.

She didn't even hear them coming.

...

Lara slowly regained consciousness, however she kept her eyes closed and her body still. She had learned long ago to not alert the enemy to the fact you are awake until you have a reasonable grasp on what was going on. She was lying down on a table, with her hands and feet restrained. Judging by the weight of the clothes adorning her body, she knew she must have been changed at some point, and there was an odd feeling on the skin of her arms and chest.

She opened her eyes slightly and glimpsed around herself quickly. Her head was tilted to the side resting on the table so she had a limited view of the room she was in. She could see the form of another person tied down to a marble table, no doubt identical to hers. The person, a female, was dressed in outlandish clothes, wearing a long dress of a deep blue colour that completely covered her bottom half, however her torso was kept free of clothes, instead the upper half of the woman's body had been completely decorated in a red ink, with what looked to be various passages of writing and symbols. The intricate designs allowed the female a sense of modesty. The position of the heart was clearly marked from a distance, in a deep red circle. The woman had long flowing blonde hair that fell down either side of the table in curls, revealing a pale and delicate face.

"Ah, Mr Trent, I see you have awaken," a voice said to her left, beyond her line of sight, causing her heart to beat frantically in her chest.

"It would certainly seem that way wouldn't it, and it seems you have undressed me. Did you want to have your wicked way with me before you tore my heart out, Karel?"

Judging by the sharp tone of Kurtis' voice, she guessed he had done much the same as her and pretended to be unconscious a lot longer than he actually was. A wave 

of relief crashed through her as she realised Kurtis must be relatively unharmed to be sarcastic in the face of danger.

"All this talk of wicked ways has me a bit anxious, I dare to say, so if you would be so kind as to kill me before you perform any carnal acts, I would be much obliged," Lara stated, keeping her eyes closed.

Kurtis barked out a laugh, causing her to turn over as much as she could to see the American. He was dressed like the female on her other side of her, causing Lara to surmise she looked the same.

"Don't worry, Miss Croft, your death will come soon enough, though I am afraid you will have to wait a little bit longer than your friend did."

Lara's heart stopped cold at the reference to Anya, and she cast her eyes frantically around the ornate room to find her.

The sight, when she found almost made her vomit.

A gold obelisk stood proudly in front of the three tables, causing Lara to lift her head up painfully to be able to see it.

A naked Anya was effectively pinned to the obelisk, a collar was wrapped around her neck, encrusted with jewels that had been stained red. Inarticulate designs had been carved into her cheeks, leaving the blood to drain down her body. She was wearing a tiara that seemed to stay in place through small spikes pushed into the skull, covering her face in yet more blood and almost making her indistinguishable.

"Holy shit, she is missing her heart!" A disgusted Kurtis exclaimed from her left, however Lara's eyes were fixated on the hole in her old friend's chest.

She stared at the lifeless body for a few more minutes, struggling not to show emotion in front of her enemy, however, with a sickening realisation she realised where the deep red colour of their tattoos had originated from.

Unable to resist it any longer, she turned her head away and vomited over the side of the table.

"Such a mess, Miss Croft, one would think you had not seen a dead body before."

The hatred Lara felt for Karel swam in her guts like a foul poison, almost making her vomit again.

"You bastard," she whispered, spitting up at the man now standing next to her.

Anger flashed across the Nephilim's eyes as he wiped away the spit from the corner of his eye.

"Did your parents never teach you the etiquette of a high class lady? Tut tut," Karel murmured, walking away from her.

"Well, let's get this show started, shall we?"

Lara looked over at Kurtis, who had managed to open his palm out despite the banding restraining it. He wore an intense look of concentration on his face.

"I couldn't agree more," he replied.

Within three seconds hell had broken loose in the small room and the ritualistic ceremony had come to an abrupt stop. Lara and the other woman were suddenly free from their bindings, whilst Kurtis had already risen from his table and was intent on attacking and eliminating as many of the henchman that were guarding the room as possible, silencing the chanting that had plagued them since their arrival.

From what she could gather, Kurtis had summoned his chirugai, which explained why he had stopped in the passage earlier. He had placed the blade down so he could summon it to him.

Not wasting time, Lara checked to see if the blonde woman was okay. The woman was shaking with fear, and something else, a darker emotion that lurked in her blue eyes.

"Stay here," Lara instructed as she ran over to Kurtis, who was using his blade to fight off the henchman, who thankfully had decided against using guns due to the ricochet bullets that would inevitably happen in the room and potentially harm.

Lara ripped the bottom half of her robes off, like Kurtis, to allow herself more movement and hurriedly grabbed an ornamental sword from one of the statues near the obelisk she was determined not to look at.

Lara used her hatred in her fight, mercilessly slashing down anyone in her path. After a few minutes however, it became apparent that they were outnumbered and needing to rethink their plan.

"Lara, find the shards, it's the only way to stop all of this," Kurtis shouted, over the general ruckus.

Lara quickly withdrew from the battle, realising that he was right, and scanned her eyes across the room. She made a gasp as she saw Karel standing over the frightened blonde woman, with a shard in his hand, and the other two lodged in the belt of his ceremonial robes.

She rushed over and immediately stabbed the long blade she held through his back and straight through his chest. He staggered off immediately, allowing Lara time to take back the shards.

"Is he dead?" The woman asked, who was kneeling at the end of her sacrificial table.

"I'm afraid not," Lara replied. However, her attention became focused on the word 

carved onto the end of the table, one she recognised easily; the Latin word for empathy.

"But you can help me get rid of him for good, he wants to kill you okay? He needs your power of empathy. I need you to place this blade in his heart whilst you think of that power you have, the power to understand people," Lara explained quickly, knowing that she had limited time; Kurtis would be finding it hard to keep a distraction and Karel would regenerate soon.

The woman looked at Lara unflinchingly, tears streaming down his face.

"He killed my son," she whispered.

Lara immediately put an arm around the woman, and placed one of the shards into her hand.

"He killed my friend, you understand the pain he has caused people. Think of that," Lara mentioned, holding gaze with the woman.

With a small nod, the woman stood on her shaky feet and walked over to the still lifeless form of Karel. With an anguished cry, she stabbed the blade deep into his heart.

An almighty scream erupted from Karel's mouth, and his hand shot out and knocked the blonde down. Lara looked over at the now unconscious form of the woman, before making the decision to rejoin Kurtis, knowing that there would be time afterwards to ensure she was okay.

Kurtis was using a blade from another statue to fight off anyone else; having no doubt used tremendous energy for the chirugai and was on the brink of exhaustion.

He noticed her moving over and glanced at the shards in her hands. Without a word, he fought his way over to her, in an impressive display of martial arts she did not know he possessed.

"The empathy blade is in, go put yours in, its strength, it says on the table, I will keep the distraction off, shout when you have done it," Lara said in a rushed sentence, before taking the blade from his hand and giving him a shard.

"Just think of what makes you strongest," Lara urged.

"That won't be a problem," he stated, giving Lara a knowing look.

Lara did not have time to decipher his comment, and instead focused on the various henchman that were still in the area. Though it had only been around five minutes since they had released themselves, the floor was littered with bodies. Lara was by no means a pacifist, but she could not help but feel a twinge of regret and the lives needlessly lost.

With a sigh, she dropped the blade, knowing that she could not possibly face more 

death today, instead she leapt into battle, using her feet and fists to knock people out rather than kill them. It made it harder to dodge the machetes they were carrying but it helped to ease her mind slightly.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kurtis caught in a battle with Karel, who had apparently regenerated from the injury she had given him. Kurtis could do little more than dodge the attacks aimed his way, and certainly could not get close enough to use the periapt shard.

It seemed Karel's henchmen had depleted for the time being, and took advantage of this by taking a moment to collect her breath. A strangled cry brought her to her senses, and she looked over hurriedly to see that Kurtis had inserted the shard into Karel's chest, next to the other one, which it seems Karel either could not remove or hadn't tried to.

"Come on, Lara, let's finish this," Kurtis said slumping against a statue, retracting the chirugai blade that he had apparently used once again to subdue Karel.

Lara walked over to the crouching figure of Karel, who had clearly lost most of his power, and was struggling to breathe. She kicked him and rolled him over with her foot, allowing her to see the blood pouring from his chest.

He did not say a word, but his cold blue eyes portrayed the severity of his hatred, and in that moment, Lara could not think of anything that could make her feel enough love for the periapt shard to work, and banish him forever.

"You can do this Lara, just think of who you love," Kurtis said, coming up to stand behind her, leaning on her shoulder heavily.

"Everyone I've ever loved has died," Lara responded in a despondent manner, thinking back to all of her friends across the years who had lost their lives in vain, and those who had just been taken away from her by a twist of fate.

Kurtis slipped a hand into hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and in that moment she realised that not everyone she had loved had left or died, but some had just taken awhile to love her back.

She pierced the shard through Karel's flesh, almost deaf to his final scream. She watched with a detachment to the situation as Karel's body burst aflame, in a smokeless fire, and consumed his body whole. They both watched the fire for what seemed like an eternity but were probably only a matter of minutes, until all that was left was a small necklace on the floor.

"He's gone."

...

This is probably the longest chapter I have ever written, and I am so glad it is out of the way! Well, he's dead, and so is Anya, which I didn't really plan on at all. I hope 

this wasn't too gruesome!

Just an epilogue now! Much Love x


	31. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

It was a hazy summers day at Croft Manor; warm with a temperate breeze, and it was entirely inappropriate to be in anything other than shorts and tees. However, in the evening twilight, Lara found herself in one of the gardens on her grounds, dressed in a modest black dress with matching tights and heels, whilst wearing her hair in an elegant knot at the nape of her neck. Kurtis was dressed just as formally, in a black suit which looked awkward on the American, despite his best efforts to appear presentable.

It was exactly one week after they had left Turkey and they were holding Anya's funeral. They were unable to take her body out of the country, due to the awkward questions that would follow, however they took her body down from its hung position and laid it gently on one of the tables they had been fastened too. They cleaned her body as best as they could with a jug of water nearby, no doubt used for ritual purposes, and off cuts of their ceremonial robes. They then took some of the least damaged formal robes that Karel's henchmen had been wearing and covered her body in the white linen. With one last look back, they both left the room and sealed it, and escaped to the dying sunshine above.

However, despite her body resting in Turkey, Lara insisted on holding a funeral for her friend with an empty casket, determined to give her the send off she deserved.

The brunette remained quiet throughout the small ceremony, where the only other guests were her butler and Jeanette, the woman who had helped them fight Karel. Without a son, and with nowhere to live, Lara had offered her a place in the manor to allow her time for healing. In return, the blonde cooked meals for them, which she found both comforting and rewarding.

The small ceremony ended uneventfully with each of them placing flowers on the spot they had chosen. Both Jeanette and Winston left to prepare the evening meal they had dedicated to Anya, leaving Lara and the American alone. They stood in silence for a few moments, appreciating the marble gravestone that acknowledged the existence of a woman who helped to save an unknowing world.

"What do we do now?" Kurtis asked, taking Lara's hand as they walked back to the house that Kurtis had become a permanent guest in.

"We look to the stars," Lara replied, looking at the white pinpricks of light that were beginning to illuminate the darkening sky.

...

ZOMG.

It's finished :O On a rather poetic note as well.

Four years, and it's over! I don't know how to feel!

I would like to thank anyone who has ever read or reviewed, it means a lot, and thanks again for the massive patience everyone has had with this.

Sequel? God no. Maybe a one-shot somewhere down the line, but I'm not sure if I have it in me to write a story for another four years :P

Toodles x


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